Hearts of Hetalia I
by blackkitten13
Summary: Alfred was just a normal boy living happily with his friends. When darkness and chaos destroys his world and tears his friends away from him, Alfred must team up with an eccentric knight and stern wizard to set things right. However, can Alfred avoid being swallowed by the darkness? Can he save his friends and the universe before its too late with the help of a mysterious weapon?
1. The Awakening of a Hero

**Chapter One: The Awakening of a Hero**

* * *

 _I don't want to tell anyone this. They might think I'm crazy... but… I've been having these really weird thoughts lately. Like, is any of this real? Or not? Are we all trapped in one big dream?_

* * *

A young boy's eyes burst open. He blinked several times before groaning and picking himself up off of the floor. He rubbed his eyes and examined his surroundings. He was sitting on a circular platform. He could see his reflection in it.

The boy appeared to be the age of fifteen. He had short, blonde hair that was parted to the left. On his part, he had a stubborn little cowlick. He wore an old, brown bomber jacket with a large number "50" on the back of it that he claimed to belong to his great-grandfather during World War II. He had on a white t-shirt and blue shorts with it, along with a pair of worn-out sneakers that had seen too many summer days. His name was Alfred F. Jones.

"Where am I?" Alfred muttered to himself as he looked around.

 _So much to do, but so little time._

Alfred snapped up straight. He whipped around, looking for the source of the voice. I'm

"Who's there?" he called out into the blackness.

 _Take your time, young one. Do not be afraid_.

Alfred spun back around. "Afraid of what? And who says I'm afraid?"

 _The door is still shut. Step forward._

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "What door?" There was no response. Confused about to do, Alfred took a step forward. Nothing happened. He kept walking until he was in the middle of the platform. Suddenly, three pedestals rose from the ground in front of him.

 _Power sleeps within you._

A shield appeared on one of the pedestals. It reminded Alfred of his favorite superhero's original weapon design. Stars and stripes.

 _If you give it form…_

A wand appeared on the second pedestal. It looked like an ordinary brown staff with a glowing blue crystal woven into the top.

 _It will gi_ _ve you strength._

A sword appeared on the final pedestal. It had a white-silver blade with a red guard and a blue handle.

 _Choose well._

Alfred looked around for the voice's owner. Once again, there was no one. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. The boy turned back towards the pedestals.

"Choose one, huh?" he said. He took a few steps forward. He went to touch the sword.

 _The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction_.

Alfred looked for the voice again. No one. He shook his head. Courage sounded good, but he felt like he was brave enough already. Destruction didn't sound good to him at all. He walked to the wand.

 _The pow_ _er of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin._

Alfred didn't try looking for the disembodied voice this time. He was growing use to it. He laughed a little be.

"A wand? Sounds like some fairy tale," he remarked. He thought he was strong enough already. While the wonder part sounded good, Alfred didn't exactly want to cause ruin. He walked over to the shield.

 _The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all._

Alfred looked down the line. The voice had told him to choose one. He didn't exactly like any of them, but he had to choose. Alfred reached out and took the shield in his hands. It shimmered before disappearing into the air.

 _Your path is set. Now, what will you give up_?

Alfred looked at the two remaining. In his mind, this felt like a hard decision. But in the end, he reached out and touched the wand. Like the shield, both the wand and the sword shimmered and vanished into the air. Alfred jumped back a bit.

 _You've chosen the power of the guardian. You've given up the power of the mystic. Is this the path you choose?_

Alfred didn't have to think twice to answer the question.

"Yeah!" he called out. Suddenly, the pedestals before the teenager crumbled, and the platforms began to shake. Alfred did his best to stand right up, but it was no use as the platform crumbled below him. He began falling. Alfred yelled as he fell. His screams ceased, however, when his descent slowed.

Alfred came to land on another platform. He looked around, still gathering his thoughts after his sudden fall. He shook his head and groaned.

"What's going on?" he muttered. Before he could say anything else, the shield he had chose appeared on his arm.

 _You've gained the power to fight. Use this power to protect yourself and others- no matter who they are._

"I've always had the ability to fight. And I can protect who I want," Alfred shouted to the voice. The voice didn't reply. "Oh come on, I didn't make you mad, did I?" No response. "You're just like my brother when he's angry with me." Alfred walked foward, looking around.

"Now, where am I?" Alfred stopped when he looked down at the platform. A shadow appeared on it that wasn't his own. There wasn't enough light in the area to create two shadows for him.

Alfred shook his head and looked at the second shadow. It rose and formed into a figure.

The creature had a vaguely humanoid body structure. It had a round, spherical head with circular, glowing yellow eyes. It also had two long, twisted antennae sprouting out of the top of its head. Each of its hands had three clawed fingers, and its feet were large and lacked any discernible digits. Alfred walked over to it. He knelt down in front of it.

"What are you?" he said, staring into the eyes of the creature. The creature stared back at him. Alfred laughed a bit. "Aw, you're kinda cute, aren't you?" He went to pet the creature's head. The creature raised its head and clamped its jaw down on his hand. "Ow! It bites!" Alfred's jaw dropped as his hand began to turn as black as the creature. He swung the shield at it. The creature was flung across the platform and dissipated into the darkness. Alfred smiled with relief. He looked down at his hand, which had returned to normal.

"Thank god," he muttered. Alfred turned around to see more of the creatures rising from shadows on the ground. His happy demeanor faded. "Oh crap." The creatures- seeing their comrade fall- went after the one that did it. Alfred.

He reacted rather quickly. He swung the shield at the first creature to come at him. Like its friend, it faded back into darkness.

"Hit me with your best shot!" he yelled out as the creatures launched to attack him. He swung the shield again, sending creature after creature into the darkness. Alfred eventually sent them all back to the darkness.

"I didn't expect so few of them…" Alfred sighed and looked down at the ground. He took a step back. Another shadow began to grow on the floor. He got in a defensive position, ready to fight off any more of those creatures. The shadow kept growing across the platform. Soon, it reached the boy. Like quicksand, it pulled him in. Alfred struggled to get himself out, but soon, the shadow pulled him into the darkness. He struggled to breathe. Alfred clawed at the nothingness, but it was no use. He was trapped. Soon, his vision went black.

* * *

Alfred's eyes struggled to open. He groaned and coughed, taking in the oxygen.

"Damn shadow…" he muttered. Alfred pushed himself to his feet. He was on another platform.

In front of Alfred was a white door. He ran towards it. Alfred pushed on the door. It didn't open. He pushed harder, only to get he same result. The teenage boy groaned. He grabbed the door handles and pulled them open.

Alfred blinked as his eyes adjusted to the bright light. He was in a strange, blank room. Before him stood three faces. Only one of them looked familiar. The other two belonged to complete strangers.

The first appeared to be a young man. He has somewhat curly brown hair, green eyes, lightly tanned skin. He had a grin on his face.

The second looked the same age as the first. He had messy, short blond hair and lime-green eyes. His eyebrows were very prominent and bushy. Unlike the previous man, this stranger had a permanent scowl on his features.

The third looked to be about the same age of Alfred. He had wavy, blond hair that was a little longer than average and parted in the middle. A single curl stuck out from the top of his hair. He had violet eyes that were obscured by oval-shaped glasses. This was Matthew Williams, Alfred's own brother, or at least his stepbrother in legal terms.

 _The door won't open just yet. I need a little more information about yourself, first._

Alfred rolled his eyes. "Well that's stupid…" He sighed and looked at the three people.

"What's most important to you?" asked the first man. He sounded like he was from Spain. Alfred hummed a little bit.

"Being number one, I guess." The stranger laughed a little bit. "What's so funny?"

"Is being number one such a big deal?"

"Hey, you're the one who asked!"

"What do you want out of life?" The second man asked. He sounded British. Alfred turned to him. He thought about the question for a minute before coming with an answer.

"To be strong," the boy said.

"To be strong, huh?" Alfred stared at the second stranger.

"What are you most afraid of?" asked Matthew. Alfred turned to his stepbrother.

"You knowthis, Matt," Alfred said. "I'm afraid of getting old."

"Getting older? Is that really so scary?" Alfred opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by the mysterious voice once more.

 _You want to be number one. You're afraid of getting older. You want to be strong._

Alfred looked around the room. No one was speaking. He couldn't tell where the voice was coming from.

"Who are you?" Alfred yelled. "What do you want from me?! Why am I here?! What's going on?!"

 _The adventure begins in the dead of night. The road won't be easy, but a rising sun awaits you on your journey's e_ _nd._

"That sounds fine, but I really want to know who you are!"

 _The day the door opens is both far away and very near_.

Alfred crossed his arms over his chest. "You sound like a fortune cookie." Suddenly, white light clouded Alfred's vision. On a reaction, the boy yelled. When the light faded from his vision, Alfred saw he was standing on another platform. Alfred looked around. "Dude, tell me what you're doing!" No response. Instead, more of the creatures from before formed around him in a circle. "You've got to be kidding me." Alfred readied his shield.

It only took a few swings to knock them back into the darkness. The boy smirked.

"Hey, I'm getting the hang of this," Alfred said, flipping his shield back and forth in his hands. He looked around. "Now what?"

A staircase appeared before him from the edge of the platform. Raising an eyebrow, Alfred walked over to it. He looked up to see where it headed. Shrugging, he began climbing up it.

* * *

Alfred's walk up the stairs turned into a sprint when he saw another platform. However, he slowed when he got up there. He walked towards the center of it, looking around.

 _The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes. And don't forget…_

The voice cut off.

"Don't forget what?!" Alfred sighed and turned. His own shadow was growing, like the creatures were. It rose and twisted itself. Alfred cringed at what it became. It became a massive, muscular, humanoid with black skin. Its legs were rather short and its feet were very thin and curl upward. Its arms were quite long, and it had two relatively small, twisted wings on its back. There was a large, heart-shaped hole in the its abdominal area, which penetrated straight through from the front to the back. Its head was covered in dozens of twisted, black tentacles. Only its small, glowing yellow eyes were visible.

"You, myfriend," said Alfred as he readied the shield on his arm, "are one ugly-" Alfred didn't get to finish his sentence when the monster swiped at him with one of it's arms. He used the shield to keep it from hurting him, but the strength of the creature pushed Alfred back a little. Summoning his strength, Alfred pushed against the being.

"I think I feel my arm breaking..." Alfred dodged another one of the monster's swipes. He raised the shield and brought it down on the monster's hand. His eyes widened at the result. There wasn't one. His attack didn't do a single amount of damage. "What the H?" The monster flung Alfred into the air. The boy fell to the ground on his back. His shield disappeared.

"No!" he yelled. Alfred tried to get up, but something held him back. His arms and legs were sinking into darkness. He was being pulled in. Alfred struggled to get himself free.

 _But don't beafraid. You hold the mightiest weapon of all. So don't forget…._

Alfred was sinking in deeper and deeper. Soon, he was fully enveloped in the darkness. He couldn't breathe. Everything was suffocating him. Alfred felt like he was drowning. His vision began to fade.

 _You are the one who will open the door._


	2. The Beach

**Chapter Two: The Beach**

* * *

Alfred woke up from his dream with a start, coughing and sputtering the water that was now dripping down his face. He sat up, looking around. He was back on the beach he had fallen asleep on. He wasn't dressed in his normal clothing, but just his swim trunks and a white t-shirt- all of which were now sopping wet. Alfred flopped back down onto the sand. A towel was held to out to him.

"Wake up. Prease, Arfred-kun." Alfred sat back up, taking the towel and getting a look at the speaker.

Beside him stood a girl of his own age. She was a short girl with her black hair cut into a bob hairstyle. Her brown eyes shone as bright in thse sun. She wore a simple t-shirt and skirt, something perfect for the hot weather. She held an empty pitcher in her hand. Well, that explained the water.

"Gimme a break, Sakura," Alfred said as he wrapped the towel over his shoulders.

"Everyone has rooking for you," said Sakura. "I knew I would find you sreeping. You seem to do it often." Alfred rolled his eyes.

Sakura Honda was one of Alfred's closest friends. She had been since they first met when they were younger. Sakura had come to town about ten years ago. She spoke a very little amount, and was rather shy until Alfred and his stepbrother first approached her during recess on the playground. After a few months, all three became inseparable.

Now that school was ending for the year, the class had decided to throw a beach party to celebrate the start of summer. The perfect place was one of the islands that surrounded the town's shoreline. As soon as Alfred stepped on the beach, he had run off to relax. He must have fallen asleep.

Alfred stood up and began walking back in the direction of the party. Sakura jogged to follow him.

"It herped that you were tarking in your sleep," continued Sakura. "It made it much easier to find you." Alfred stopped and turned around.

"I had a weird dream, alright? This huge black thing swallowed me up. I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't-" Sakura put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him.

"You most rikery could not breathe because I poured water on you. Are you sure you are not stirr dreaming?" Alfred pinched his arm, twisting around the skin to increase the pain output. Nothing changed.

"No… but my arm's sore now." Alfred groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. "And it felt real. I'm not sure if it was a dream. Was it? I dunno."

 _'What was that place?_ ' Alfred thought. _'It was so… freaky…_ '

"I am sure it was not rear," Sakura said, snapping Alfred out of his thoughts. "Are you positive that you are fine?"

"Yeah. I think I am."

"Arfred-kun, if something is wrong, you can trust me enough to tell me."

"Sakura, I'm telling you. I'm fine!"

"If you aresure..." Alfred opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by another voice.

"Sakura! Alfred!" The two teenagers turned to see another approaching them. It was Matthew, Alfred's stepbrother. He was dressed similarly to Alfred normally was, minus the wore a sleeveless white shirt, with a dark red X emblazoned on both the front and the back. He wore a dark pair of jeans and sneakers. Heat didn't seem to bother him.

"There you are, Alfred," said Matthew. "Everyone has being looking for you."

"I know," Alfred replied, running the towel up the side of his face. "Sakura already told me." Sakura waved towards the boy.

"So that's where the water went…"

"There was nothing erse think of anything else to wake him up. I had it in my hand so I thought..." said Sakura. "I aporogize."

"It's not a problem," said Matthew. "I'll refill it later…" He sighed. "Miss Jameson is looking for you two. Especially you Alfred. She sounded a bit angry about it." Alfred groaned.

"It's just what nature wants. Me to be in trouble with our teacher." Alfred smirked and took off running down the beach. "Come on slowpokes!" Matthew started to chase after his brother. He could see Sakura starting to run in hopes of catching up with them. The boy laughed before turning and sprinting down the beach.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a world far, far away. A young man was walking calmly down a long hallway, the hem of his cloak trailing the pristine floor. He had messy, short blond hair and lime-green eyes. His eyebrows were very prominent and bushy. Several menial servants walked past him, each avoiding the court Magician's gaze. He rarely cracked a smile and had a very strict persona. Arthur Kirkland was the right-hand of the castle's ruler, and it was his job to make sure everything was running smoothly.

Arthur jogged up to the doorway that led to the throne room. He opened the door and stepped inside. He expected the king he served to be sitting in his throne like he did every morning. To Arthur's surprise, the King was missing.

"Your Majesty?" Arthur called out. There was no answer. The Magician sighed and walked inside. He walked up to the throne. He was hoping that the King was somewhere nearby. "Come on, your highness. There's important things to attend to." Once again there was no answer. Arthur sighed. Everything was quiet. Far too quiet. He looked around the room. It was empty.

Arthur looked down on the throne. On it was a note. Arthur carefully picked it up and opened it. Despite it being written poorly and in a haste, Arthur understood what it meant. And it only took a second for him to react.

Arthur dropped the note on the floor and ran out of the room. He sprinted down the hall and out the door to the main courtyard. He only took a few steps before colliding with another body, sending both to the ground. Arthur groaned as he looked at the person.

He has somewhat curly brown hair, green eyes, lightly tanned skin. The pain Arthur was feeling from the impact was no doubt due to the armor the man wore. The captain of the royal guard, Antonio Carriedo, got up quickly and pulled Arthur to his feet.

"Are you okay, Arthur?" the guard asked.

"I'm fine," Arthur told him as he shook his head to clear it of pain.

"You sound worried."

"No time to explain." Antonio grabbed onto Arthur's wrist.

"You just came running out of the castle like you saw a dead body. It doesn't look too good." Arthur sighed at the tone Antonio had taken. He ran a hand through his hair.

"This is very serious, Carriedo. I don't think you'll take it as such."

"I can be serious," he argued. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Alright," said Arthur, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We have a problem. But you mustn't tell anyone about it."

"Not even the princess?"

"Yes."  
"Or her lady-in-waiting?"

"Yes, what part of 'don't tell anyone' do you not understand?" Antonio looked past Arthur. He smiled and waved.

"Good morning, Princess Mei! Hello, Lien!" Arthur tensed up as he turned around. Behind him were two women.

The first was the young princess the King was tasked to look after. Princess Mei was a teenage girl who was easily to spot by her bright pink gown. Her hair was long and brown, with a wild curly strand sticking out on the right side of her head. She wore pink flowers in her hair instead of a normal crown.

The second appeared to be older than the princess. Lien was Mei's lady-in-waiting, closest friend and confidant. She had long, dark brown hair that was pulled back in a long ponytail and golden-honey colored eyes.

"What is it you 'mustn't tell anyone', Kirkland?" asked Lien, crossing her arms over his chest. Arthur laughed nervously.

"Yes, Arthur," Mei added. "What is it? And where is the King? I haven't seen him at all today, and we've looked everywhere." Arthur laughed nervously once again.

 _'This isn't a good sign_ ,' thought the Wizard as he led the three back inside the castle.

* * *

 **For reference (and to avoid confusion):**

 **Alfred F. Jones (America) as Sora**  
 **Matthew Williams (Canada) as Riku**  
 **Sakura Honda (Nyo!Japan) as Kairi**  
 **Arthur Kirkland (England) as Donald Duck**  
 **Antonio Fernandez Carriedo (Spain) as Goofy**  
 **Princess Mei Xiao (Taiwan) as Queen Minnie**  
 **Lady Lein (Vietnam) as Daisy Duck**


	3. Connected

**Chapter Three: Connected**

* * *

The trio of Alfred, Matthew and Sakura arrived back at the gathering of their classmates, tired, sweating and panting from their race. Alfred laughed, wiping the sweat off of his face with the towel. The first thing he felt was a hand on the back of his head. Alfred looked towards the source to see his teacher standing behind him. Sakura and Matthew were already gone.

"What's up?" Alfred said calmly.

"You had everyone worried," the woman snapped. "I hope you know that."

"I think Sakura made that clear when she poured water on my head."

"So that's where the water pitcher went. Lucky for me I can count on her to refill it." Miss Jameson shook her head and looked over at Alfred. "Nevermind that. I did a check of the supplies, and we're running low. I already sent Nicole and Louis out to find a few of them."

"And you're telling me this why…?" Miss Jameson narrowed her eyebrows.

"Because I want you to help."

"What?! Why?!"

"Everyone has been assigned a job but you. I don't be lazy and sit around all day while we all work hard."

"Oh." His teacher sighed. "Just tell me what you need." The woman smiled a little bit.

"We just need a few fruits from the trees," Miss Jameson explained. "Not a big deal." Alfred nodded.

"Alright!" He pulled the towel off of his shoulders and handed it to his teacher. "Be back in a few!" Alfred turned on his heels and ran down the length of the beach toward the fruit trees.

* * *

Alfred climbed up the trees, gathering a few of the bounty it had to offer before dropping back down. He smiled at the load he had in his hands.

"This looks like enough," he said to himself. "If not, I could always just get more." He walked back down towards the party, whistling to himself. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped. Alfred's blue orbs darted to the left- near the cliffs. There was an opening in the rock. The teenager raised an eyebrow.

"That's weird…" he muttered. "I've been here a thousand and one times, but I don't remember that opening." Alfred looked over at the party and shrugged. "I guess a few minutes wouldn't hurt." He walked over the the cave, putting the fruit down beside the opening. Alfred put a hand on the cave wall as he walked down a long, winding tunnel.

His eyes widened at what he came to. It was a cavern, with tree roots dug through it. Along the walls were chalk drawings that looked like younger kids did them. At the end of it was a large wooden door with golden engravings. Alfred turned to the drawings, running a hand along them. Who knows how long they had been there?

Suddenly, thesound a footsteps behind him caused Alfred to turn around. Behind him was a hooded figure. The boy's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" he asked. "And what are you doing here? This beach is closed to the public today for the weekend."

"I've come to see the door to this world," said the figure in a deep voice. Alfred blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"This world has been connected."

"What are you talking about?" Alfred shook his head. "Connected to what?"

"Tied to the darkness… soon to be completely eclipsed…" Alfred blinked.

"Okay, I don't know what that means, but whoever you are, get the heck off of this beach. You're starting to freak me out."

"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door," the figure continued, ignoring Alfred's request. "There is so very much you need to learn. You understand so little."

"Hey!" Alfred snapped. "No one's allowed to insult me! Other than Matt on occasion…" Alfred shook his head. "Other than them, no one!" Alfred bounded forward, pulling back his arm. He swung at the figure, only to have his hand go through him. The boy jumped back with wide eyes.

"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

"Quit calling me stupid! I'm smarter than I look!" The man vanished into the air. Alfred tensed up. "Maybe Sakura was right. I am going crazy." He shook his head. "I gotta get back to the others."

* * *

"Thank you, Mr. Jones," said Miss Jameson as Alfred handed her the fruit. The woman put them down on a nearby table. "The party later is going to go a whole lot smoother now."

"Yeah, I guess," Alfred sighed. Miss Jameson looked at him.

"Are you alright? This isn't exactly like you." Alfred hummed a bit before nodding.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me." He shook his head. "I just need to get a little rest. I don't feel to good."

"Alright. I'll tell your brother where you went." Alfred turned and began to walk away. "The cabins we're staying at for the weekend are on the other side of the island."

"Thanks ma'am!"

* * *

At the otherworldly castle, Antonio, Lien, and Mei stood at a table in the castle's library. Arthur held the note in his hands as he read it aloud.

" _To_ _whoever finds this_ ," he read aloud. _"I'm sorry to run off without saying anything, but I can feel that something's not right. Last night, I noticed the stars going out, one after the other. This leads me to believe that disaster isn't too far behind. I hate to leave you all worried, but I have to see what's going on. There is a… 'key'. I'm not sure where they are, but this is the key to our survival. I need whoever finds this letter to find the keys and protect them until I get back. If I get back. Understand? We need that key or we're doomed. I don't know how to find the keys, but I can give you my best wishes in your quest. P.S. Do you mind apologizing to everyone for me_?"

"What in the name of the worlds does that mean?" asked Lien, leaning up against the table. "I feel like the King's age might be reflecting on his health." Mei shook her head.

"He's not even thirty yet. We just have to trust him, Lien," said the princess cooly. "He knows what he is doing."

"I hope he's alright," Antonio said nervously. Arthur folded the letter and straightened up.

"Whatever the case is," explained the Magician, "If his Majesty is right about all this, then we have to find this 'key '. Maybe we can find the King along the way as well." He dropped the letter on the bed. "I'll take on full responsibility for this. I found the note, after all."

"I'll come with you!" added Antonio. "Who knows? You might need some help!" Arthur sighed.

"Yeah, fine. Whatever. Just be careful of not getting in the way of the mission."

"You can count on me."

"I don't trust you," said Lien. Arthur and Antonio turned to him. "But if you two are the only ones that can do this. Bring back the King safely." Arthur nodded.

"Understood. I say we start as soon as possible. We don't want to worry the others, do we?"

"But what do we tell the citizens about the King?" Lien asked. Arthur ran a hand through his hair.

"We'll just tell them he's ill or something. Mei, you're in charge of the kingdom until we get back." Mei grinned enthusiastically. "Lien, keep Mei safe. And make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." Mei's smile faded. Lien nodded. "Now, come on. Let's go." The others nodded. The Royal Magician and the Captain of the Guard left the room.


	4. Darkness Falls

**Chapter Four: Darkness Falls**

* * *

Alfred laid on bed in his assigned room that the school had provided him with for the weekend. He gazed out at the sky. Night had fallen, and he still hadn't shaken the creepy feeling the figure had given him back at the cave. Alfred sighed.

"Stupid creepy…" he muttered. "Why did he have to freak me out so much?" He groaned and looked up at the ceiling. Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder rang on his ears. He sat up and dashed over to the window. He could see a storm rapidly approaching.

"Everyone's still on the other side of the beach." His eyes widened. They didn't know about the storm. "I gotta warn them." Alfred quickly got dressed and ran out of the room and cabin, making a beeline for the beach and his class.

* * *

Alfred ran with all the speed his body had. He looked out over the horizon. What he saw made him gasp. It was a large ball of dark energy, with a violent red core. As it grew, the shadows around Alfred rose. They formed into the creatures from his dream.

"What?!" Alfred shouted. "This can't be real!" He shook his head and pushed past the creatures. They clawed at him, doing their best to drag him into the darkness. Alfred pushed and flung them off of him. Unlike in his dream, they didn't dissipate back into darkness. So, he kept running. He had to make sure everyone was safe- creatures or not.

He finally made it to the beach. It was nearly deserted at this point. Alfred felt the wind whipping through his jacket. In the distance, someone was rushing towards him. His brother.

"Matthew!" Alfred called out as he ran towards him. "Matt!"

The boys ran at each other. Matthew and Alfred were only inches from each other. Matthew extended out his hand. Alfred's eyes softened at the sight of him.

"Matthew…" he breathed. Suddenly, a dark void appeared underneath Matthew- it was just like the one Alfred was pulled into during his dream. It began to swirl around him, enveloping him in it. "Matthew!" Alfred bounded forward, only to be caught by his own void inches away from his brother. The darkness began to swirl around him. Alfred made a desperate attempt to grab Matthew's hand. But it was no use. Matthew was too far away. The darkness clouded Alfred's vision. Was this it? Was this the end?

A bright light appeared in front of Alfred. He reached forward and grabbed it. The light flashed around him, causing Alfred to close his eyes. When he opened them again, he was back on the beach with something in his hand. Alfred held it out. His eyes widened. In his hand was a large key-like sword object of some kind. The handle and guard were decorated with red and white stripes. The blade was blue. Faintly etched on the blade were the words: Old Glory. In place of the teeth was a large white star with two smaller stars on each side. Attached to the guard was a long chain. On the end of it was the American flag.

"Whoa…" Alfred breathed as he examined the weapon. "What is this…?" He swung the blade. It felt light in his hands and perfectly balanced. It was like the weapon was meant for him.

Alfred didn't have anymore time to look at his new blade as something jumped on his back. Alfred spun around so that it was flung off against a nearby tree. He saw a small group of the creatures rapidly running at him. His eyes darted down at the blade. That's when it clicked.

"Now I can fight back," he said. Letting the wave get closer, he swung the blade at them. It passed cleanly on through. The creatures dissipated back into darkness, releasing small, heart like objects into the air as they died. Alfred smirked. The wind began to pick up. "I gotta head to safety." The first place that came to Alfred's mind was the cave from before. He turned on his heel and ran back to where the cavern was. More of those creatures rose up, trying to stop him from reaching his location. Alfred easily was able to slash them down with his new weapon. His eyes studied it as he fought.

'What is this thing?' he thought. 'Where did it come from?' He shook his head. 'Doesn't matter. It's the only thing that can stop these freaks.'

Alfred ran towards the cavern. In front of the opening was a large, white door. Alfred pushed against it. The door opened with ease. Once he was inside, he turned and slammed the door shut. As he did so, the blade in his hand vanished. Only the keychain remained.

"Oh, come on!" he growled out of frustration. Alfred swiped up the keychain and stashed it in the pocket of his jacket. He walked down the tunnel and into the cavern. Instead of being empty like he thought it was, someone was already there.

It was Sakura. She was standing in front of the door. She must have heard Alfred coming in, because she turned around. The girl looked almost dead.

"A-Arfred…" Sakura breathed out. She didn't get to finish her sentence as the door behind her swung open. A strong wind blew from it. It pushed Sakura from her position and towards Alfred. The young teen held out his arms to catch her, but to his surprise- she passed straight through him and vanished. His eyes widened. What just happened?

He didn't get any more time to think as the strong winds over took him. Alfred was blown down the tunnel and back onto the beach. He stumbled as he looked around. The boy gasped. The beach was in ruins, and the sky turned purple. Standing before him was the monster from his dream.

"This can't be real…" Alfred shouted. "I'm still dreaming! I have to be!" The monster swiped at him as it did before, knocking him back against a rock. Alfred groaned as he heard a crack. "Okay… definitely not a dream…" He back down onto the sand and stood up. He cradled a now broken arm to his chest. Alfred looked up at the creature before him.

'If only I had that blade...' Alfred dug out the keychain from his pocket with his good arm. He grasped it in his hands and held it out to get a better look. In a flash of bright light, a shaft of light extended out from the keychain. It morphed into the shape of the blade. The light disappeared and the blade remained behind. Alfred smirked.

"So that's how you work," he said with a grin. "Nice." He stood up straight, his body now healed. He looked up at the creature before him. The creature ignored Alfred. It bent backwards. Dark energy from around them retreated into the hole in the creature's chest. Not knowing what to do, Alfred ran towards it with a fierce look. He raised the blade and struck the monster's hand again and again. Unlike before, Alfred was doing damage to it. He laughed through the pain of moving his arm.

"Is this the best you got?" The monster raised it's hand and stood up. Alfred back away, prepared to fight it. Dark energy gathered in its hand. The monster slammed it down into the sand. Alfred ran towards it, slashing at it. After a few more hits, he managed to cut through the monster's wrist. The creature went limp. Alfred smirked.

"Yes!" he shouted as the creature was pulled into the dark energy orbs hanging in the sky. The blade returned back into the keychain, which the boy stowed into his pocket. However, Alfred's victory was short lived when the winds began to get stronger. Memories flashed in his mind as the world around him was torn to pieces. Eventually it was too much. Alfred let go of his strength and willpower. The boy was pulled into the dark energy orb and lost consciousness.


	5. Welcome to Traverse Town

**Chapter Five: Welcome to Traverse Town**

* * *

Alfred's eyelids were almost as heavy as lead, but they still opened either way when the boy returned to a conscious state. He groaned as pain pounded against his skull. He closed his blue orbs again until the pain faded.

"What the heck happened?" he said to no one. "Was I hit by a truck?" A sharp pain coursed through his arm, causing Alfred to cry out. He covered his mouth before any noise could escape. Once the pain had dulled to a bearable state, Alfred opened his eyes fully. He blinked. He was in a dark alley. Alfred slowly stood up, holding his useless arm to his chest as he began to observe his new surroundings. It reminded him of some sort of steampunk era.

"Where am I?" he asked himself. He groaned again, rubbing his temples with one hand to get rid of the remaining headache. "Dude, seriously. What happened to me?" Alfred shook his head again before turning down the alley and into a wide, open area. It looked strangely like it belonged in the Victorian age. Alfred sighed.

"Okay, this is not home." He walked down a small staircase. "This is totally weird. Where am I? Another world?" Alfred stopped and looked at his new surroundings.

"Only question is… where is everyone?" The area was empty. The boy kept walking on and entered the first shop across from him.

Unlike he had thought, it wasn't completely empty. The shopkeeper sat at the counter. He stood and turned when he saw the teen enter. The shopkeeper was a simple looking boy with square glasses and a narrow face. He had dark blond hair and blue eyes.

"Hey how can I-" he started to say before he expression dropped. "It's only just a kid." America's jaw dropped. The person speaking to him couldn't have been any older than he was.

"I am not a kid!" Alfred snapped. "My name's Alfred. Alfred F. Jones."

"Okay, okay. Calm down." The shopkeeper sat back down on his stool. "Why such the long face, Alfred? Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Alfred thought for a second. "Well… Maybe not. Uh… do you know where we are?"

"… You're in Traverse Town. Did you hit your head or something?"

"Traverse Town?" Alfred repeated. "How far is that from the Destiny Islands?" The shopkeeper laughed. "Hey, what's so funny? I'd really like to know how to get back home."

"Very far. If you ended up here, your world was most likely destroyed." ALfred's eyes went wide.

"My… world?" Alfred didn't want to believe the thoughts coursing through his head. "You make it sound like I'm in a different world. That's-"

"Correct." Alfred froze, feeling ice running through his body. That couldn't be true, could it?

"Another world? Kid, that's impossible." The shopkeeper lowered his head, his gaze on Alfred from over his glasses.

"The name's Eduard." Alfred nodded. "Anyway, not sure what you're talking about, but this sure isn't where you came from, is it?" Alfred sighed. Maybe he was right. He didn't seem like he was kidding.

"I guess I should start looking for the others…"

"Well good luck with whatever it is you're doing. If you ever run into trouble, you come to me. I'll help you."

"Got it." Alfred walked out of the shop with his mind racing.

' _I'm in another world?_!' he yelled in his head. ' _This is impossible. I'm still dreaming_.' Alfred reached over and pinched his broken arm. He muffled a yell. He was still in Traverse Town. ' _Okay, not a dream._ ' The pain was enough to tell him that. He sighed. 'I better start looking.'

* * *

Alfred walked around the town, whistling to himself. It was the only thing he could do to subdue the stabbing pain in his arm. He really needed to find a way to get it fixed. At the point when the pain became unbearable, Alfred pulled off his jacket with great difficulty. He used the jacket to wrap his arm in place before tying the sleeves around his neck. He would have to do for now, until he could find medical help.

The boy came to another section of the town. It looked like the first, only it was a lot cleaner looking. Alfred walked on through the door, whistling to himself all the while. He came to a sudden stop when a man ran out in front of him.

"Hey watch where you're-" Alfred started to shout before the man tripped. He had a look of horror on his face. Alfred slowly walked towards him. "Dude, are you-" The man screamed. A heart-shaped object floated into the air out of his chest. Alfred cringed. A small orb of dark energy sucked up the heart, and the man disappeared into darkness. The heart fused with the energy. It shuddered and morphed into a shadow-like creature.

It was different from the ones Alfred had fought before. It had a much more refined appearance than the other shadows. Its muscular forms was clad in a bluish-black body suit bearing a weird emblem and purple inverted emblems trimmed in gold on the knees. It wore black, silver trimmed shoes that end in spiral toes, silver wristbands, and a silver knight's helm decorated with two angular, eye-like spirals on the front and a yellow stripe at the base of the curled silver plume. It had fierce blue and red-tipped claws and shadowed faces with bright yellow eyes and toothy maw.

"You're ugly," Alfred remarked. "Luckily, I know how to get rid out you." Alfred dug into his pocket for his keychain. He felt relieved that it was still there. He held it out, allowing it to transform into his blade. Alfred was glad that it hadn't been his dominant arm that was injured back on the islands.

The creature vanished into darkness before Alfred could do anything. Instead, the Shadows from before rose up and began to surround him. "Oh great."

The shadows went to jump on Alfred, but the boy jumped out of the way. They became stuck in a cluster. Alfred's happiness turned a wince when he landed.

"I gotcha now." He swung the blade through the bunch, allowing them to go back to the darkness. Alfred sighed. "That was too easy." He looked down at the blade. "Better keep you out for now…"

* * *

Alfred was right in doing what he did. As he continued on his search, more of the shadows appeared to attack him. They were pretty easy in Alfred's opinion to defeat, even with one arm. It felt good to him. It kept his mind off of the fact that he was in another world- an action that was deemed impossible.

He walked around, defeating more of the shadows and looking for a sign of another human being. A voice, a piece of clothing, something someone could left behind. Anything. In the back of his mind, he wished that he had stayed at the party.

Alfred sighed. He had managed somehow to get back to the first district, and he had not seen high nor hair of anyone he knew. He felt like screaming.

"They'll come at you out of nowhere." Alfred stiffened and turned. Behind him was a young boy.

He had tousled silver-white hair and icy violet eyes. He wore an old navy and red military jacket over his white shirt. He wore brown pants and white boots. The jacket seemed large on him, with the hems of the sleeves rolled up to his wrists.

"Who the heck are you?" Alfred asked.

"And they'll keep on coming at you," the boy continued, ignoring the question. "As long as you continue to wield the Keyblade." Alfred looked down at the weapon in his hands. Was that the name of it? The Keyblade? "But why… Why would it choose a kid like you?"

"Hey!" Alfred snapped. "I'm older than I you! And what exactly is that supposed to mean, genius? Jeez, why am I being insulted so much today?" The boy shook his head, ignoring Alfred.

"Nevermind. Now, let's see that Keyblade." The man reached out to take the Keyblade from Alfred's hands. The teenager held it out of his reach.

"Sorry dude, but you aren't getting this." The boy sighed, drawing a sword of his own.

"All right then. Have it your way." Alfred raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, the man jumped at him, trying to bring the sword down on him. Alfred jumped out of the way, narrowly missing the blade. His eyes hardened. If it's a fight he wanted, then it was a fight he got.

Alfred swung the Keyblade in retaliation. It barely missed the stranger. He tried to jab at the man, but his opponent dodged it with ease.

' _How is he doing this?_!' Alfred thought. He charged at the teen again, but every one of his swings were countered. While he did manage to land a few hits, the teen dealt more damage. Eventually, both were worn out. The boy dropped onto his knees.

"Now you're going to… to…" Alfred's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he collapsed on the ground. He could hear voices before he fell from reality.

"You're slipping, Emil." Male. Definitely male.

"I went easy on him."

"Looks like things are worse than we thought. A lot worse." He heard one last voice on his ears before completely fading.

"I think you might 'ave almost killed 'im."


	6. Of Other Worlds and Heartless

**Chapter Six: Of Other Worlds and Heartless**

* * *

Alfred groaned. His body felt like an immovable rock. Now he really felt like he was hit by a truck. An eighteen-wheeler truck carrying the heavy substance imaginable and driving at sixty miles per hour seemed like it had run him over on a highway.

"Why is it that I always wake up and it hurts?" Alfred muttered. His eyes opened slowly to bright light and blurriness. His hands flew up to shield his eyes from the light. A harsh pain coursed up his left arm. His broken arm. It didn't help that this arm was forced down onto a flat surface a second later. He let out a muffled cry.

"Please try and keep still," said a gentle voice. Alfred moved his hand away from his eyes. He looked up to see none other than Sakura at him bedside.

"You okay?" Sakura asked.

"I guess…" Alfred muttered. She was putting something on his arm.

"Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade. But it's your heart they really want, because you wield the Keyblade." Alfred looked up at Sakura. He placed a hand on her cheek.

"I'm glad that you're okay, Sakura."

"Sakura? What are talking about?" Alfred raised an eyebrow. Sakura's voice changed into something much different than her quiet tone. She took Alfred's hand off of her. "I'm Lucille."

"What?" Alfred shook his head, and rubbed his eyes to clear his blurred mind. Someone else stood before him. It may have been a girl, but it definitely wasn't Sakura.

The girl in question was small with eyes like sapphires. She wore part of her blonde hair tied into a long side braid with a large red hair bow. Her bangs were held back on the right side by bobby pins. She wore glasses. Unlike the refined appearance she was trying to give off, the dark clothes she wore made her look like she was ready for combat. A thin sword was strapped to her hip.

"Are you alright?" said the girl, Lucille as she had called herself.

"I guess…" Alfred answered, holding his hand to his head. "What happened to me? What's going on?"

"Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade," said a third party. "But it's your heart they really want, because you wield the Keyblade."

"What?" Alfred blinked several times to get used to the light before looking at his surroundings. He sat up, and noticed he was on a bed in what looked like a hotel room. His jacket had been discarded, laying on a nearby chair.

"Are you alright?" said Lucille. Alfred just gave her a blank stare. She groaned, looking back behind her. "I zink you broke him, Emil."

"I told you. I didn't hurt him that badly." Alfred perked up as the boy he had fought outside the shop entered the room.

"Vladimir and I say differently." Lucille went back to tending to his broken arm. Beside him, Alfred caught sight of his "Keyblade".

"The Keyblade…" He breathed out.

"We 'ad to get it away from you to shake off zose creatures," Lucille explained. "Zat's 'ow they were tracking you."

"It was the only way to conceal your heart from them," added Emil. "But it won't work for long." Alfred frowned a bit. "Still… hard to believe someone like you was chosen." Emil walked over and picked up the Keyblade. He held it in his hands for a second before it disappeared in a shimmer of light. Alfred stared as the Keyblade reappeared back in his hands. "Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers." Alfred narrowed his eyes.

"Look, can I talk to someone who will make sense?" he asked. "Who can tell me what's going on here?"

"Listen up. I'm not going to repeat zis," Lucille said. She cleared her throat and sat down on the bed next to Alfred. "Zere are many other worlds out zere besides your own and zis town. Zey've been kept a secret because zey've never been connected. Until now." Alfred's mind flashed back to what the hooded figure said in the cavern the day before.

 _This world has been connected… Tied to the darkness… soon to be completely eclipsed…_

"Alright," Alfred said with a nod.

"When ze 'eartless came, everything changed," continued Lucille.

"The Eartless?" Alfred asked out of curiosity. "I mean Heartless?"

"Ze ones who attacked you, do you remember?" The boy nodded.

"Those without hearts," Emil added before Lucille continued.

"Ze darkness in people's 'earts- zat's what attracts zem," she said.

"And there is darkness within every heart."

"'ey," Lucille said suddenly. "'ave you heard of someone named Athena?"

"Athena?" Alfred repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue. There was a beat. "Like the Greek goddess? As in a myth?" Lucille shook her head.

"She was a real person, not a myth," she continued. "She was studying ze 'eartless. She recorded all of 'er findings in a very detailed report. But, it's pages are scattered everywhere."

"Scattered?"

"To ze worlds. You need a key to get zere. Zat's ze only ozer way I know. With ze Keyblade."

"So… this is the key?" Alfred asked, examining the blade in his hands.

"Exactly."

"The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade," Emil explained. "That's why they'll keep coming after you, no matter what." Alfred dropped his gaze. His right hand clenched at the bedsheets.

"I hate to get all serious, but I didn't ask for this," he said. "Any of it."

"Ze Keyblade chooses its master," Lucille told him. "And it chose you."

"So, tough luck," said Emil as he leaned up against the wall. Alfred ran a hand through his hair.

"How did this happen?" he thought out loud. "I remember being in my room…" The wave of previous events hit him like an ocean wave hit a cliffside during a storm. "Hold up! What happened to my home? My world! Matthew and Sakura..."

"You know what? I really don't know." Alfred sighed as his Keyblade turned back into a keychain. He stuffed it in the pocket of his shorts. He winced as Lucille finished her work. His arm was tightly bound in a sling.

"Don't be such a child," she said. Alfred muttered something to himself. Lucille couldn't have been any older than he was. She looked younger to him. "Zis is only to set your bones while ze magic does its work." Alfred looked her blankly.

"Magic?" he asked. Lucille ignored him. From the confines of her clothes, she produced a small plastic bottle filled with something glowing and green. She handed it to Alfred.

"Drink up." Lucille backed away from Alfred, who stared at the bottle's contents. "It's not going to 'urt you. Quite ze opposite. Healing potions are quite easy to come by." Alfred looked up at her before removing the stopper. He downed the contents in one gulp. He immediately regretted the decision. The liquid burned his throat on the way down. Alfred coughed on it. The burning sensation crept to his bandaged arm. Random spots on his body began to feel warm from the result of the potion. About a minute later, Lucille removed the binding on his arm.

"Give it a try," she said as she put the supplies away. Alfred hesitated for a minute before swinging his arm outward. There was no pain. Lucille handed a few of the bottles she had on hand to him. "You might need zem."

"Thanks," Alfred said, sounding a bit grim "Any advice for me? About fighting the… the Heartless?"

"Sooner or later, the Heartless will find you," said Emil. "You'd best prepare yourself." Alfred tilted his head in confusion.

"Prepare…?" he asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"To fight for your life. Are you ready?"

"Uh… huh…?" Alfred was unsure about this. He stood up off the bed. He crossed over to where his jacket lay. He pulled it on allowing the comforting and familiar scent of his home filling his nose. He pulled it closer of his body, sliding the potion bottles safely in the lining of his jacket.

Emil nodded towards Lucille.

"Lucille, let's go join Lili," hs said. "She should be there now with the other visitors." Lucille nodded before standing up and heading to the other end of the room where Emil was. They started to leave. However, Lucille froze halfway. She turned around, becoming petrified.

"Emil!" she shouted. Emil turned. "Alfred, Get out of 'ere, now!" In the corner of the room was a clattering Soldier Heartless. Emil quickly drew his blade, running forward to attack it. In a scramble to get his keychain, Alfred finally got a hold of it long enough to summon his Keyblade.

"Lucille, get Lili!" he called out.

"What about-"

"Go!" Lucille nodded, running out of the room. Emil turned to Alfred. "Hope you're ready!" The boys nodded. Emil slammed a Heartless that had appeared on the bed through the window. He motioned for the Keyblade holder to follow after him as he jumped out the window.

Before, Alfred would have never considered jumping out a second story window. This time, he barely even hesitated before following after Emil.

* * *

Somewhere across the sea of stars, a young, broken boy's unconscious form was stirring. His fingers gripped the cold rock he had been deposited on. He staggered to his feet, holding the bloody and broken nose he had received during the strange occurrence on the beach. After a quick inspection, he discovered that he was mostly okay. His glasses weren't broken. It was a small stroke of luck. At least he could see.

Matthew looked around. He didn't know where he was. He had one other thing he wanted and only one thing. Not to be alone right now. Memories of the previous night were pulsing in his brain.

"Alfred!" Matthew called out, his voice echoing around him. "Sakura! Anyone!"

There was no answer but the echoes of Matthew's own voice. The boy collapsed to his knees. He was truly alone.

Unbeknownst to him, his shouts had been noticed by a tall figure in a black cloak.

* * *

Alfred raced down the streets of Traverse Town, adrenaline boiling in him and rushing through his veins. In his search for Emil, Alfred failed to notice the soldier-like Heartless rising behind him. That is, until a shadow creature, a Heartless, jumped on his back. Alfred whipped around, flinging the Heartless off of him.

"Don't touch me!" he shouted. Alfred's warning did nothing as the Heartless came at him. While they were stronger than the ones that came from the shadows, these types of Heartless were pretty easy to defeat.

Alfred wiped the sweat off his brow and panted slightly as he finished off the last one. He continued running until he came across Emil trapped in a corner by the Heartless. Alfred went to help.

"Don't bother with the small ones," Emil ordered, "Leave them to Lucille and me. Find the leader! Only the Keyblade can stop it. Go!"

"But-"

"I said go!" Emil waved Alfred off as before raced down back to the hotel. Alfred nodded and headed down the other way.

Unfortunately, more Heartless decided to try and stop Alfred from even finding their leader. The determination and adrenaline in his blood increased as he cut down more Heartless. Eventually, he came to a stop at a third district of town. He pushed the doors open and ran through. This district of town was more modern, and slightly reminded Alfred of Tokyo at night. Or at least how Sakura had described Tokyo after her family visited there for a summer. Alfred ran down into the lowered center of the district. He looked around. There was no sign of any Heartless. It was strangely quiet.

"Where is every-" Alfred began to say before being cut off by the yells of two people. These two people were flung off of a balcony nearby. With a loud thud, they landed right on top of Alfred, flattening him on the ground. All three of them groaned. Alfred lifted his head enough to see whom had landed on either side of him. Alfred's eyes widened. They were the smiling brunette and scowling blonde from the dream he had right before the destruction of his home. They were staring at the Keyblade.

"Can you get off me?" Alfred said, finally noticing the weight crushing his chest. Replying to the request, the two strangers rolled off of the boy and stood up. The blonde crossed his arms over his chest. Alfred saw a star-tipped wand in the his hands. His high-collared jacket was forest green with soft green lining and cuffs. He had a short, green cape that he wore draped over his shoulders, kept in place by a silver strap across his chest and a thick belt around his waist. He wore brown pants and boots.

The brunette looked rather please. He had a gold and red shield attached to his arm. It was decorated in a crest of some kind. There were a small pair of red goggles tucked away in his hair. He wore a red turtleneck sweater. Over the sweater, he wore a sleeveless, dark brown combat vest. His pants were a light tan and secured by a thick, black belt. Like the blonde, we wore brown boots. The only difference was that his had steel toes on the outside.

"Where did you get that key?" the blonde asked. Alfred opened his mouth to answer, but the ground shook, cutting him off. Tall pillars rose from the ground, sealing off the entrances- and exits- to the plaza. Soldier Heartless rose upon top of them. They jumped down and surrounded the three.

"This was a bad idea!" shouted the brunette.

"It was your decision to come along," the blonde snapped back. Alfred rolled his eyes.

"Can you two talk about your problems after we defeat the Heartless?" he said.

"I hate to say it, but that's a rational point. Let's finish them!"

"Right." the brunette added. Alfred ran forward, slashing cleanly through three Heartless. He looked behind him. The brunette was hitting the Heartless with his shield. To his surprise, the man managed to send three of them back to darkness. The blonde was using the wand to send what Alfred expected to be magical blasts at the rest of the Heartless. As soon as they were hit, the Heartless disintegrated into the darkness. Alfred laughed as he walked back towards the two. He was about to congratulate them on defeating the Heartless, but the clatter of metal stopped him. All three whipped around to see large pieces of armor falling from the sky. In a whirl, the armor assembled into a large, Heartless.

Its body was divided into several pieces—a body, a head, two arms, and two legs—none of which were directly connected to each other. The armored torso was vaguely hour glass-shaped, violet with a lilac, diamond pattern around its waist, and had light black additives on it. The Heartless emblem was emblazoned on the center of the armor. Its head was violet, spherical, and sported three silver spikes and a silver faceplate with several holes in it. Both of the gauntlets were violet with wide wrists and three lilac, segmented fingers. The legs were short, violet, and ended in large, hammer-like, black feet. All of the pieces of the armor seem to be hollow.

"What is that?" shouted the brunette.

"I don't know, but I think it wants to kill us," Alfred said sarcastically.

"Stop being sarcastic!" snapped the blonde. Alfred groaned.

"You're not my mom!"

"Shut up, and let's stop this thing."

The Heartless raised its fist and went the strike the group. Alfred raised his Keyblade to attack it, but the brunette got to it first. He held his shield out in front of him, deflecting the attack. The man struggled against the weight put on his weapon before the Heartless pulled away. It attacked again, barely missing Alfred.

The Heartless went to strike Alfred again, but this time, Alfred was ready. He struck the fist with the Keyblade, doing some damage to the Heartless. The brunette used his shield to block the attacks, and even managed to use it to get a few hits in. The blonde raised his wand, sending magic blasts at the Heartless whenever it was distracted by the other two combatants. Eventually, the Heartless managed to land an attack to all three, sending them flying against the far plaza wall. Alfred stood first.

"I've had enough of you!" he shouted. Alfred's grip on the Keyblade tightened as he ran at it. The Heartless didn't have time to attack as Alfred uppercutted its torso. It shuddered and fell apart before fading into darkness. A heart rose from it and floated into the air. Alfred whistled as he watched it go. The men Alfred had fought alongside with against the Heartless walked up to join him.

"Well that was unexpected," the blonde man remarked, brushing off his clothes. "Anyway, we've been looking for you." Alfred raised an eyebrow as his Keyblade shrunk back down into a simple keychain. Alfred stowed it away in his pocket.

"You were looking for me?" he asked. The two strangers responded with a nod.

"They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade," said a familiar voice from behind. Alfred turned as Emil and Lucille joined them.

"Hey, I got an idea," said the brunette man. Alfred turned back towards them. "Why don't you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel."

"I wonder if I could find Matthew and Sakura…" Alfred muttered. He said it a little louder than he had meant to.

"Of course you can," said the blonde man. His companion leaned closer to him.

"Are you sure?" asked the brunette.

"Who knows? But we need him to come with us to help us find the king." Alfred stood still, contemplating the offer of the two strangers. Emil stepped forward, placing a hand on Alfred's shoulder.

"Alfred, go with them," he said. "Especially if you want to find your friends."

"Yeah, I guess," said Alfred, halfheartedly. He was still unsure if he would even be able to find his friends. The two strangers in front of him exchanged a look between each other.

"But you can't come along looking like that. Understand?" said the blonde. "No frowning. Okay?"

"Yeah, you gotta look funny, like us!" interjected his partner. He hooked an arm around the blonde. The blonde pushed him away from him.

"This boat runs on the positive emotions of others. Happiness is such one emotion."

"Happy?" Alfred repeated. The brunette smiled to prove the established point. Alfred stared at him blankly for a moment. He forced a large, cheesy grin. This got no response from the two. Alfred's smile faded as awkwardness hung in the air. After a second, the blonde man smiled, and the brunette burst out laughing. Alfred joined in the laughter.

"Okay, why not?" he said. "I'll go with you guys." The blonde held out his hand.

"Arthur Kirkland," he said. The brunette did the same.

"My name is Antonio," he added. Alfred took both of their hands and shook them.

"I'm Alfred," he said. The three broke apart.

"The gummi ship is outside that gate," said Arthur, gesturing over to a large gate. Alfred stared at the gate in confusion.

"The what?"

"It's the name of our ship."

"Wait 'til you see it!" said Antonio excitedly. Alfred followed Antonio and Arthur to the gate. His eyes widened as Antonio opened it, revealing a shuttle-like ship decorated in yellow and red. Alfred was in awe as they boarded.

"We travel to different worlds on the gummi ship," explained Arthur as he lead Alfred to the cockpit of the ship. Controls flashed from the pilot's seat and the two on either side of it.

Arthur slid into the pilot's seat and quickly got to work on setting up the ship for take off. Antonio walked over to the seat on the right, helping Arthur by setting up the ship's navigation system.

"Take your seat, Alfred," said Arthur without even turning. "We'll be taking off soon." Hesitant at first, Alfred took his place at the seat on the left. He looked out at the starry sky above. He was going to find his friends. He was going to get home.

This was the start of an amazing adventure.

* * *

Meanwhile, several people were gathered around a crystal, watching the three heroes board the strange ship as the crystal projected the image to them.

"That little pest took down the Heartless! Who would have known?!"

"But such power lies in the Keyblade, not in the boy's own abilities."

"Why don't we turn them into Heartless? That'll settle things quick enough."

"They're all bilge rats by the looks of them."

"You're no prize yourself."

"Why you little-"

"Enough!" The group around the crystal ball ceased speaking. One of them stepped into the light. Fair and green-skinned, her shining, yellow eyes were heavily shadowed with violet make-up, and her lips were painted red. Her head was topped with a black-horned headdress. She wore a long, tattered black robe with a purple trim and maroon edges which flared out. She carried a staff with a glowing green orb at the tip.

"The Keyblade has chosen him," said the woman. "However…" She smiled, her smirk filled with dark intentions.. "Will it be they who conquer the darkness… or will the darkness swallow dear Alfred first?"


	7. Objection!

**Chapter Seven: Objection!**

* * *

Alfred groaned as he dropped his head on the control panel.

"Quit your moaning," Arthur said. "My piloting is fine." Alfred waved off the ship's pilot. He went far too slow for Alfred's liking. "Well, if you don't want to see the world we've arrived at then-" In a second, the boy shot up out of his seat and looked out the window. Before him stood a planet-like sphere. Its land was like a pink checkerboard, and it was decorated with hedges and spiral towers.

"What world is this?" Alfred asked excitedly. Arthur spun around to face the monitor. He groaned loudly with displeasure.

"Wonderland." Both Alfred and Antonio looked at him with curiosity.

"You don't sound too happy, Arthur," said Antonio.

"I hate Wonderland." Alfred exchanged a look from Antonio. His only answer was a shrug.

* * *

Arthur pressed a few buttons on the control panel as the Gummi Ship made its descent. He pressed a button and opened the hatch. The three gathered around it. Alfred looked down and paled.

"Dudes, I think we should find another way into the world." Arthur groaned and walked out of the ship.

"And why on earth should we-" Arthur's sentence transformed into a scream. Antonio and Alfred watched as the Brit tumbled down the rabbit hole in front of the Gummi Ship. The pair exchanged glances.

"You first?" said Alfred nervously. Antonio shrugged.

"See you down at the bottom," he said before taking a step back and jumping in after Arthur. Alfred stared down at the hole. This wasn't the craziest thing he'd ever done. Alfred closed his eyes before stepping over the edge.

The boy yelled out as he fell. Alfred's shouts soon ceased about halfway through the fall when his descent slowed. He came to a soft landing in a hallway in front of Arthur and Antonio.

"You could have warned me," Arthur snapped.

"I tried to." Alfred looked around.

"Let's just get going before-"

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" a white ball of fluff yelled in panic as it raced past the three. "The Queen will have my head for sure!" The three stared at the hallway the rabbit darted down.

"Come on, let's follow it," said Alfred before racing down the hallway after the rabbit.

"Alfred!" shouted Arthur. Alfred didn't listen. Antonio and Arthur chased after Keyblade Wielder. It wasn't a long run- They came to a stop in a small room.

"Where did that rabbit go?" Alfred said impatiently. Arthur gave Alfred's ear a sharp tug, causing the boy wince.

"Alfred, what do you think you're doing?" said Arthur. Alfred didn't answer. He just pried Arthur's fingers off of him and pushed him away.

"I saw the rabbit and I followed it," Alfred finally answered after a minute. He looked around. The rabbit wasn't in sight. "Now it's gone."

"You can't just run off like that. Otherwise you could get seriously-" Arthur was cut off when Antonio backed into him, causing him to lose his balance for a second. Arthur whipped around to face him. "What do you think you're-"

"Something ran across my foot," said Antonio.

"Oh, like I'd believe that."

"Arthur," said Alfred. Arthur looked over at him just in time to see a tinier version of the White Rabbit dash across the floor. The rabbit flung open a small door and dashed inside. Alfred crouched down in front of the door as it slammed shut.

"How the heck did he get so small?" he asked no one in particular.

"No, you're simply too big." Alfred jumped back several feet into Arthur when the door spoke. Arthur pushed Alfred off of him.

"Grow up." Alfred stared at Arthur for a second before turning back towards the door, which yawned.

"Must you be so loud?" it complained. "You woke me up."

"Well then," said Antonio as he knelt down. "Good morning!"

"Good night. I need a bit more sleep." The doorknob yawned.

"Wait!" Alfred shouted, getting down lower. "What do we need to do to get small?"

"Over there…" The doorknob gestured to a table nearby. On top of it where three bottles. Alfred walked over and picked one up. He pulled off the lid.

"Alfred, what do you think your doing?" Arthur said. Alfred looked over at him. He grabbed the other two bottles and tossed them to his companions.

"You heard the doorknob," said the teen. "We drink and we get little. Easy." Antonio popped to lid off of his. He cringed.

"It smells like rotten eggs," he said with disappointment.

"I hate you admit it, but you're right," Arthur said, pulling off his own lid. "Hopefully it won't taste as bad."

"Bottom's up!" said Alfred. In unison, the three drank down the contents of the bottles. They disappeared as the three shrunk down to smaller size. They were now big enough to fit through the door. Alfred walked up to it and tried to open it. He frowned.

"Hey! It's locked!" Antonio started walking around the room, running a hand along the walls.

"Antonio, what are you doing?" Arthur asked. Antonio stopped and smiled.

"I'm guessing that there's another way in somewhere," he explained before continuing. "A secret passage or something."

"Well, I can't see one," Alfred remarked as he walked along the right side of the wall and under the nearby bed. There was a thud. "... Found it."

* * *

The group of three traveled down a long tunnel. The tunnel lead out to a hedge maze opening. In the center, was what looked like a courtroom. The bunch peeked around the corner, hoping not to get caught. A trumpet sounded. Careful as not to get caught, the three walked out into the court. In the judge's chair was the Queen the rabbit had mentioned, with coarse black hair and red-black dress. She reminded Alfred of a witch more than a queen.

On the defendant stand stood a young girl around the age of ten. She had long, thick, blond hair in which she tied a black bow and blue eyes. She wore a blue dress with a white apron, along with white tights and black Mary Jane shoes.

The white rabbit ran onto a podium next to the Queen, a trumpet in his hand. He blew into it.

"Court is now in session!" shouted the White Rabbit.

"I'm on trial?!" said the girl in shock. "But why?"

"Her Majesty, the Queen of Hearts presiding!" The Rabbit continued, ignoring the girl.

"She is the culprit. There is no doubt about it. And the reason is…" said the Queen. "Because I say so, that's why!"

"That's unfair!"

"Well, have you anything to say in your defense?"

"I've done nothing absolutely wrong! You may be queen, but that doesn't give you the right to be so… so mean!"

"Silence!" the Queen snapped. The girl jumped back a little. "You dare defy me?!" It was at this point Alfred by stay silent.

"Guys, maybe we should help out," Alfred said in a harsh whisper from where the trio hid.

"Yes but-" Arthur began to say before he was cut off.

"We would be meddling, which is what we were told not to do," Antonio whispered back. "Right?" Arthur nodded.

"Right."

"The court finds the defendant…" the Queen said in suspense. "Guilty as charged! For the crimes of assault and attempted theft of my heart…" It was here that the boys gave out a little gasp. "OFF WITH HER HEAD!" The card knights around the defendant marched forward.

Unable to take it anymore, Alfred grabbed his companions' hands and bounded forward- revealing their hiding place in the process.

"Stop it right there!" the boy ordered. The court froze in there place.

"Who are you? the Queen asked. "How dare you interfere with my court!"

"Hey, listen lady," Alfred said, crossing his arms over his chest. "We know who the real culprit is. You have no reason to go and blame an innocent person like her!"

"It was the Heart-" Antonio added before Arthur covered his mouth before he could give away the truth. Alfred sighed.

"Anyway, we know really did it. I can tell you that they are not the ones you're looking for."

"That's nonsense," snapped the Queen. "Have you any proof?" Alfred paled.

"Uh…" Suddenly, the guards grabbed the girl, tossing her into a cage nearby. They sealed the door shut with a heavy thud.

"Bring me the evidence of their innocence," the Queen ordered. "Fail and it's off with your heads!"

"Yes ma'am!" Antonio said in a rush. The three walked over to the captured girl before they began their search.

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

"I'm Alfred," Alfred said.

"And I'm Antonio, and this is Arthur," Antonio added. Arthur gave a small nod.

"Pleased to meet you. My name's Alice," said the girl. "Though I do wish it were under better circumstances. I'm sorry you got mixed up in this nonsense."

"It's not a big deal," said Alfred. "Why are you on trial in the first place?"

"I should like to know the very same thing! Apparently I was guilty from the moment I took the stand!"

"That's crazy. So, where are you from?"

"Hmm, curious. I can't quite remember. You see, I found this mysterious rabbit hole. When I tried to peek inside, I tumbled in head over heels… And I found myself here."

"So you're from another world!"

"That's funny," Antonio said with a laugh. "Maybe you don't need a ship, then."

"What do you mean 'another world'?" asked Alice out of confusion.

"Ignore that," said Arthur. "You have nothing to worry about."

"Yeah!" Alfred added. "We'll catch the culprit!"

"I would try checking the woods over yonder," suggested Alice. "There dwells the Cheshire Cat. Do seek and ask him where the proof is at." Before the boys could ask Alice what she meant, a Card Soldier stood between them. A curtain blocked the two from view and the cage was raised above the ground.

"I guess we better get going. C'mon guys!" The trio marched off into the direction Alice had mentioned. And boy, were they going to regret it.

"This is one weird forest," Antonio remarked as they entered. He was right. The forest was filled with giant trees, mushrooms and flowers. Then again, that could have been due to their size.

* * *

The trio walked on a bit before Alfred let out a yelp. Antonio and Arthur turned to the scared Keyblade Wielder.

"What is it, Alfred?" asked Arthur.

"Cat head!" Alfred shouted. The two stared at the him before turning and kept on walking. "Wait up!"

"Stop telling lies, Alfred. They'll get us nowhere."

"I'm afraid you're friend isn't lying." The trio stopped as something appeared on a nearby tree stump. The strange was that the cat was pink with dark purple stripes.

"I'm guessing that this is the Cheshire Cat?" asked Antonio. Arthur nodded.

"Poor Alice. Soon to lose her heads, and she's not guilty of a thing!" said the Cheshire Cat.

"We know," said Antonio. "Can you help us?"

"The Cheshire Cat has all the answers- but doesn't always tell. The answer, the culprit, the cat all lie in darkness." The cat then faded away.

"Hey!" shouted Alfred. "Wait!" He sighed. "Now wha-"

"Ow!" shouted Arthur. Something dropped onto his head and into his arms. "What the bloody-"

"That must be the evidence Alice was talking about!" said Antonio. "Now we can take it to the Queen and free Alice!" Alfred nodded.

"Let's go before the Queen cut off her head." Alfred and Antonio darted off towards the forest's exit. Arthur, however, remained behind, staring at the box.

"While the evidence may free your friends," the Wizard heard the cat's voice say. "It will not save yourself. Take this power with you."

"What power?" Arthur breathed out. Something hit him in the chest. It was cold, like a snowball. It merged with the man. Arthur felt a wave of cold rush over his body. He blinked his jade eyes. "What the hell…?

"Arthur!" Arthur looked over at the direction of Alfred's voice. "You coming?!"

"Yes!" he called back before running to catch up with the other two. What his didn't notice was that puffs of frosty, cold mist was expelling from his mouth.

* * *

The trio returned to the courtroom with their evidence in hand.

"Yo Queen!" Alfred called. "We're back!"

"Step up to the podium and present your evidence," said one of the card knights. The three exchanged look. Arthur looked down at the box in his hand. He calmly walked up on the podium.

"Your Majesty," the Wizard said. "My friends…" He glanced over at Alfred and Antonio. "No, my colleagues and I collected this piece of evidence from the forest." He placed the box on the podium and opened it. Antonio's, Alfred and Arthur's eyes all widened when a Soldier Heartless arose from the box. "Alfred!"

"On it!" Alfred quickly summoned his Keyblade and stabbed the Heartless, sending it back to darkness. He returned it back to a keychain and stowed it away.

"What in the world was that?!" snapped the Queen.

"That was your evidence," Arthur explained. He slammed a hand down on the podium and pointed at the Queen. "Now I demand that you release Alice at once! By the order of the Head Wizard of the Court of-!"

"Silence!" The confidence the trio had faded when the Queen snapped. "Article 29: Anyone who defies the Queen is guilty!"

"That's ridiculous!" Arthur turned to his partners. "Antonio! Alfred! Get Alice!" Without a second thought, the pair did as they were told. They ran over to a nearby crank and lowered it. The cage dropped to the ground and the curtain slowly opened. There was a collective gasp throughout the court.

The cage was empty.

"No!" shouted Alfred. They were too late.

"Please calm down, Alfred," Antonio said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Yelling isn't going to solve anything."

"You fools!" the Queen of Hearts snapped, sending the trio jumping. "Find the one who's behind this! I don't care how! Fail and it's off with your heads!"

"Yes ma'am!" the trio said before running out of the courtroom.

"I don't want to lose my head!" Alfred said.

"Just keep running," Arthur told him. "If we get far enough away, I could use my magic to take us back to the Gummi Ship!"

"But what about Alice?" asked Antonio.

"She couldn't have gotten far. She's most likely in another world. We'll look for her."

"Alright."

* * *

The trio sprinted into the room from which they arrived. The three slid down against the wall, tired and panting.

"I. Loathe. Wonderland…" Arthur muttered.

"You and me both…" added Antonio.

"Can we turn on the lights?" asked Alfred. "It's dark in here and it's cold." Arthur sighed and stood up.

"Fine," said Arthur as he pulled out his wand. Alfred raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Unlike you, I actually try to learn something useful that isn't seeing how much I can eat in an hour."

"That was valuable information!" Arthur rolled his eyes and pointed his wand at the two lamps on the ceiling.

" _Incendio_!" he shouted. Two small balls of fire shot out from the wand's tip and hit the lamps, lighting them.

"At least we can see now," said Antonio as he stood up. There was silence. "I feel like something bad it about to happe-" Suddenly, a shadow dropped from the ceiling. The shadow unfolded into a giant of a Heartless.

The Heartless had spindly legs resembling scissor jacks, arms that appeared and sounded like they were made of paper, and a head that was made of several segments balanced on top of each other. Each of the segments sported its own face—though all of the faces had the same glowing yellow eyes and jagged mouths—and they alternated in color from red to black. Its arms were black and juggled clubs with zig-zagging, purple and lavender stripes on them. It wore black armor with large, red shoulder pads, a black codpiece, and had a very thin and small red body. The upper halves of its legs were red, while their lower halves were black. Its feet were black, flat, and curled at the tips.

The group quickly drew their weapons, getting ready for a battle.

"Let's see if we can stop this thing."

"How?" asked Antonio. "It's fifty feet taller than us."

"Magic!" Arthur pointed his wand at the creature. " _Incendio_!" The fireball zipped out at the Heartless. While it did little damage, it also set the Heartless's clubs on fire.

"Now you've done it!" shouted Alfred. Arthur glared at the boy, but couldn't do anything else as the Heartless swung its clubs down at the boys. They all managed to roll out of the way. The Heartless swung again, this time hitting Antonio. Luckily, the soldier managed to get his shield up in time.

"Arthur, be careful where you aim!" said Antonio.

"I'm doing the best I can. It's hard to aim properly when I'm this small!" snapped Arthur. "I don't know a spell that would help us!" The duo ducked another swing from the Heartless. Alfred ran up and slashed at its legs with the Keyblade.

"Just do something, cold breath!" Arthur raised an eyebrow. The Heartless swung at Antonio, who held out his shield in front of him. It held off the attack long enough.

"Alfred, what did you call me?" Alfred looked back for a second before continuing to attack.

"Cold breath!"

"Why?!"

"Ever since we got out of the forest, we've been able to see your breath," Antonio explained before throwing his shield at the Heartless, hoping to do some damage. Instead, the Heartless set the shield on fire with its clubs. As long as it was blazing, the shield was useless.

Arthur's mind flashed to what had happened to him in the forest. The memory combined with Alfred's words gave him a solution to the problem at hand.

"I have to freeze the enemy…" Arthur repeated. Have looked over at Antonio. "Antonio! When I say so, grab your shield and throw it at Alfred!"

"What are you planning, Arthur?" The soldier asked as he maneuvered out of the way of an attack.

"Just do it!" Antonio did what he was told, racing forward. Arthur pointed his wand at blazing shield. " _Glacius_!" A snowball-like magic orb shot out of the wand's tip and hit Antonio's weapon. The fire sizzled out just as he grabbed it. Antonio smiled.

"Thanks, Arthur! I didn't know you could do that!"

"It wasn't that hard." A plan clicked in Arthur's mind. "Alfred! When I say so, hit the Heartless! Don't do anything before then!"

"Why should I listen to you?" asked Alfred. "It's impossible! I won't be able to reach!"

"Leave that to me," said Antonio. Alfred nodded and jumped backwards. Arthur pointed his wand at the Heartless. "Glacius!" The snowball shot out of the wand, striking the Heartless in the chest. Ice began to form on the Heartless, freezing it solid.

"Now!" Arthur shouted. Antonio flung his shield in Alfred's direction. Alfred raced forward with Keyblade in hand. He jumped up high enough to be able to launch himself off of the shield. He swung, slicing the Heartless in the chest. The creature shattered and the ice pieces faded into the darkness before they hit the ground. A heart flew out of it and into the air. Alfred grinned as the party regrouped.

"What a racket." They turned to see the doorknob from before waking up. "How's a doorknob supposed to get any sleep?" It yawned again, revealing the outline of a keyhole in it's mouth. The three stared at the keyhole as it shimmered. Alfred's Keyblade shook in its master's hands. As if on it's own will, the tip of the blade began to shine brightly. Alfred stuck out his arm, pointing the key at the keyhole. A beam of light shot out of the blade's tip and straight into the keyhole. The boys heard a distinctive click before the Keyblade returned to normal.

"What was that?" asked Arthur. Alfred shrugged,

"I don't know, but did you hear that noise? It was like a lock." A small green object falls to the ground in front of them, shining brightly in the light. Antonio slung his shield across his back and picked it up.

"This gummi block isn't like the others," he observed, handing it to Arthur.

"That's a gummi block?" asked Alfred. He expected it to be much bigger.

"I believe it is," said Arthur. "I'll hold on to it," He stashed it away into his pocket.

"Splendid~ You're quite the heroes." The trio turned to see the Cheshire Cat behind them. Alfred smiled at the compliment. "If you're still looking for Alice, they're not here. They're gone! Off with the shadows into darkness."

"No!" Alfred's keyblade turned back into a keychain. "We were so close!"

"Let's get back to the Gummi Ship," said Arthur. "We might find them on another world."

"But how?" Antonio asked as his shield shrunk down. "The ship's all the way up there, and we're down here! Not to mention we're still small."

"My magic can fix that. Let's get going." Arthur held out his wand and teleported them all back to the ship.


	8. Alfred vs Arthur vs Heartless

**Chapter Eight: Alfred vs Arthur vs Heartless**

* * *

Alfred stared at the back of Arthur's head. Arthur's jade eyes glanced at the boy.

"What is it, Alfred?" asked Arthur.

"Nothing," Alfred said. Arthur spun around and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You've been giving me that look since Wonderland."

"I told you. It's nothing!"

"Well, apparently there isn't, so stop it! I swear, you're acting like a child!"

"Um… Arthur?" Antonio interrupted, "Alfred?" The two spun in their chairs to face the soldier.

"What is it?" Antonio pointed out the Gummi Ship's window. Everyone stood to get a good look at it. Before them stood another world. This world was covered with trees and looked like a jungle. "What's this world called?"

"Uh…" Arthur looked down at the controls. "Deep Jungle. Original." Alfred hummed a little bit.

"I wonder what it's like down there," he thought out loud.

"Does it matter?" said Arthur, sitting back down. "Let's see if we can find another world. I highly doubt that the King or anyone else is such a backwater place like that."

"Hold up!" cut in Alfred, standing over Arthur. "For all we know, they could be there! I say we check it out." Alfred went to grab the controls, but Arthur batted his hand away.

"Forget it, Alfred. We're on a very important mission. Now's not the time for your childish antics."

"I'm not a kid!" Alfred grabbed onto Arthur's wrist. "Just land!"

"I said no!"

"Come on!"

"Stop being so childish!"

"We're landing!" Alfred seized control of the ship. Arthur tried to push him off to regain control of it.

"Alfred, just knock it off!" Alfred attempted to take control of the ship again. The next sound that resonated throughout the ship's cockpit was a loud slap. Alfred put a hand to his cheek, staring wide-eyed at Arthur as the Wizard lowered his hand. Silence.

"You both need to calm down," Antonio said, gently pushing Alfred away from Arthur. Alfred's eyes narrowed when Antonio put his hand on him.

"Don't touch me!" he yelled, slamming his hand on the control panel.

"Alfred, don't touch that!" said Arthur, but it was too late. The ship rocked harder and began to spiral downward into the world below. The trio grabbed on tightly and prepared for an emergency landing. Unfortunately, Alfred's actions had caused one of the ship's airlocks to open. He was jerked forward, hitting his head against the dashboard. His eyes slid shut as his grip loosened.

"Alfred!" shouted Arthur and Antonio as they watched the boy slip out of sight.

* * *

Alfred groaned as he awoke. He was in an immense amount of pain. His world was spinning. Alfred sat up, sliding one of his potions from his pocket. He didn't hesitate to drink its contents. He was surprised that he was even still alive enough to heal himself.

He stood up as soon as the potion's magic did its work and looked around. The boy was in a large wooden tree house. It was rundown, as if someone hadn't lived there for years.

"That's just my luck," Alfred said to himself. He was in the middle of nowhere. At least he wasn't dead. Alfred spun around to get a view of his surroundings. "Where is everyone? Arthur!? Antonio?! WHERE ARE YOU?!" There was no answer.

A low growl came from behind. Alfred tensed up. Slowly, he turned. A large leopard leapt at him. Alfred pushed the creature away before it could hurt him. It slammed into a nearby box.

"Nice Kitty…" The leopard slowly got up and approached him. Alfred dug around in his pocket for his keychain. Before he could summon his Keyblade, someone jumped between him and the leopard. They pushed the animal back and pointed a spear at it. After a two second stand off, the leopard ran out the window nearby. The man turned around to face Alfred.

He had brown hair is styled in long dreadlocks. He wore almost no clothes. The only piece of clothing he wore is a tattered, brown loincloth around his waist. His eyes were a light green-blue in color and his muscular body was tanned from exposure to sunlight.

"Sabor, danger," he said to the teen. Alfred blinked. This guy didn't speak English very well, did he?

"Uh… thanks," said Alfred.

"Thanks?" repeated the man.

"Okay. Do you know where the others went?" He didn't answer. "Look dude, I got seperated from my friends. Have you see them?" The man just grunted. "Friends~."

"Friends." Alfred grinned. At least something got across.

"That's right! My friends. There's two of them. Arthur is the one with the-" Alfred stopped halfway through his sentence. He remembered what Arthur had said to him back on the ship. The way he had treated him. A hand graced the now forgotten bruise that the potion had begun healing before it even formed. His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. "You know what? Nevermind. I'm trying to find some people. Two of their names are Sakura and Matthew"

"Look for Matthew, friends?"

"Right!" Alfred said with a nod.

"Sakura… friends?" Alfred shook his head.

"Uh… yes. I guess you can say you're right."

"Friends. Here." Alfred's eyes widened and lit up.

"Really?!" The man then said something Alfred didn't understand.

"Friends here," The man repeated.

"Not sure I understand how, but can you take me to them? Take me to Sakura and Matt!"

"Tarzan," said the man pointing to himself. "Tarzan go."

"Name's Alfred. Tarzan go, and Alfred go!" Alfred grinned and laughed. The thought of being reunited with Sakura and Matthew filled him with joy.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of the jungle, Arthur sat upon a rock mound, waiting in hot sun. The ship was nearby, the hatch open. Arthur's eyes were on the ship as Antonio walked out, his face covered in sweat.

"I've done all I can… I hope she'll still fly," said Antonio. He glanced up at the sky above them.

"Hope is not going to help us in this case," said Arthur. "I need a straight answer Antonio." Antonio ignored Arthur. "Antonio? Antonio!" Antonio looked over at Arthur, snapping out of a trance.

"Sorry Arthur. I'm just worried," Antonio said apologetically. "I sure hope Alfred's okay."

"Who needs him?" said Arthur as Antonio wiped the sweat off of himself with the end of his vest. "We can find the King without him. He has been nothing but an immature brat since we first met him." Arthur pulled out his wand. Antonio snatched up his shield, which had been resting besides the rocks. "We can do this on our own!" The pair began to walk off into the jungle. There was still one thing they needed before taking off, and that was the Keyblade Wielder. They needed to know his fate.

"He may have been acting immature, but you had no right to go and hit him like that," said Antonio. "If I remember, you acted the same way when you were fifteen and we were-." Arthur sighed, cutting off his traveling companion. He turned to face Antonio, still walking.

"I didn't mean to actually strike him. I got caught up in the heat moment and it just… happened."

"That's no excuse. You could have seriously hurt him if I hadn't stepped between you two. I'm not stupid. I have seen what you can do when you're not holding back. I've seen you fight without using magic." Arthur remained silent. "If he's alive, you owe him an apology to begin with."

"I'm not great with this kind of thing."

"It doesn't matter. You need to make it up to him."

" _If_ he's alive. He fell from hundreds of feet above the ground. We didn't even see where he landed." Antonio stared at the ground. Arthur turned around only to run into something. Before the pair stood a small gorilla. Antonio yelped as Arthur backed into him. The gorilla ran off.

"My apologies, Anton-" Arthur stopped halfway when the pair heard footsteps walking towards them.

* * *

Alfred, meanwhile, followed Tarzan onto the balcony outside of the treehouse. He marveled at the view the treehouse offered. Alfred watched as his new companion jumped off the treehouse balcony and into the netting below. Tarzan motioned for Alfred to follow him before the man jumped into the trees. Alfred blinked.

"Oh…" he said, realizing what he had to do. Hoisting himself over the edge, Alfred dropped into the netting below. "That was easy." The Keyblade Wielder climbed through the net and to the edge. He swallow the fear building up. "Here goes nothing…" Alfred pushed himself off of the net and into the trees. To his surprise- instead of splatting on the ground- he rolled into a moss covered area. Tarzan stood there waiting for him. Alfred stood up, brushing off his clothing.

"Lead the way, ape-man!" Tarzan jumped down a nearby hollowed out tree trunk. That's when Alfred realized what he was doing. He was sliding on the vines. The boy pulled off his shoes, holding them tightly in one hand. He looked down the trunk.

"It's just like skateboarding," he told himself. "Except if you fall off, you die." He sighed. "I gotta do this." Pulling himself upwards, he jumped down the tree.

Alfred landed on the tree branch, and began immediately sliding down it. Luckily it was thicker than he thought, so it made it easier.

"Woo!" Alfred laughed as the wind ran through his hair. "This is more fun than I thought!" That was when Alfred met a branch face first. "Ow… Note: Avoid the branches."

* * *

The new duo landed down in the middle of a bamboo thicket. Alfred recognized it as a man-made camp.

"Are my friends here?" he asked Tarzan. The man beside him walked into a nearby tent. Alfred followed curiously. Pushing aside the tent flaps, Alfred saw someone in the tent.

"Jane!" called out Tarzan. The woman turned and stood up straight so Alfred could see her.

She had long, dark brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a faded, white tank top, walked barefoot, and wore a long, brown skirt that reached to just above her ankles. The skirt was held up by a knot tied on her right side, which exposed most of her right leg.

"Tarzan," said Jane as she turned. Her eyes met Alfred's. "Oh, and who is this?"

"Hi," Alfred greeted. "I'm-"

"Oh, you speak English? So then, you're obviously not related to Tarzan." Alfred and Tarzan exchanged a look. "Are you here to study to gorillas?" Alfred opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a snide voice.

"Highly doubtful." Alfred turned around to see an old man with a rifle and hunting gear, as well as two familiar faces walking into the tent. His eyes narrowed.

"Alfred!" Antonio said, sounding relieved as he rushed forward. He wrapped his arms around him. Alfred pushed Antonio off of him as soon as he caught sight of Arthur behind him. Alfred and Arthur turned away from each other. The tension from before still lingered in the air.

"A circus of clowns," continued the stranger as he left the tent. "Not much use for hunting gorillas…"

"Mr. Clayton!" Jane called after him. "We're studying them, not hunting them! This is research!" She sighed and looked at the countries. "Well, the more the merrier. Do make yourselves at home."

"Thank you miss," said Arthur, his gentleman persona coming into play. "I'm Arthur Kirkland. My associate here is Antonio Carriedo and the idiot is Alfred F. Jones."

"Hey!" Alfred said offensively. "I am not an idiot!" Antonio stepped between the two.

"I hate to interrupt," he said quickly. "But we need to find the others. Can you please just get along?" Alfred and Arthur glared at each other.

"Fine," they said in unison.

"We'll work together," said Arthur. "For now… insolent child."

"I'll let you tag along," Alfred said harshly. "For now."

"Are they alright?" Jane asked Antonio. Antonio nodded.

"They had a… disagreement. They still haven't resolved it." Antonio scratched the back of his head. "We're looking for our friends. Have you seen them?"

"No, I'm sorry." Antonio's face fell. Alfred sighed and broke his staring contest with Arthur.

"Tarzan said he saw them," Alfred said. "Or at least that's what I got from it."

"Tarzan was raised in the jungle by the gorillas," Jane explained, "Communication with him still isn't easy, but he's learning."

"So he was speaking gorilla back there?"

"Ah, that's right. You're looking for your friends?" Alfred nodded.

"He said that two of my friends- A girl named Sakura, and my brother Matthew, are here. He also said something I didn't catch."

"Just like you not to understand something," remarked Arthur. "Git." Alfred glared over at Arthur for a second before returning to the conversation.

"Why don't we try this?" Jane suggested, putting her hand on an old projector. "We'll show Tarzan some slides and see if any of them match the word." She turned to face Antonio. "Antonio, they should be in the box next to you. Could you get them for me?" Antonio nodded with a smile and starting rummaging around in the box behind him.

"Found them!" he announced. The soldier pulled out a small box of slides. He walked over and handed them to Jane. "Is this it?"

"Thank you." The woman started up the projector and inserted the first slide. It was of a magnificent castle standing high in above a town. Alfred stared at it in fascination.

"What's wrong, Alfred?" Antonio asked, seeing the look on the Keyblade Wielder's face. Alfred blinked, snapping out of his trance.

"What?" he asked, still dazed. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine.

 _'That castle…_ ' Alfred thought, ' _It looks familiar. But how? I've never left my world. And there's no place like that at home. Not at all_.'

* * *

The group looked through a few more slides until they ran out.

"Well, Tarzan?" asked Jane.

"Where is my friend, Sakura," asked Alfred, "And my brother, Matthew?" To the boy's disappointment, Tarzan shook his head. "Hey, I thought-"

"See?" cut in Arthur. "I told you that they weren't here. You wasted our time and made us crash for nothing." Alfred shot Arthur and cold looked before the tension was broken by the hunter.

"That leaves just one place," said Clayton as he entered the tent. "Young man, we've been in this jungle for some time now. But we have yet to encounter these friends of yours. I'd wager they're with the gorillas. But Tarzan refuses to take us to them."

"Really, Mr. Clayton. Tarzan wouldn't hide-" Jane tried to say before she was cut off.

"Then take us there! Take us to the gorillas. Go-ril-las." Tarzan looked over at the three before nodding.

"Tarzan, are you sure?" asked Jane.

"Tarzan go see Kerchak," Tarzan said.

"Kerchak?"

"Perfect," said Clayton. "I'll go along as an es-"

"We don't need an escort, if that's what you were going to say," Arthur interrupted. "We'll be able to manage on our own thank you." Without another word, the trio followed Tarzan out of the tent.

* * *

The walk to the gorilla nest was filled with tension. It only came out when the group had to cross over a lake.

The trio watched as Tarzan made it across with ease. Alfred sighed.

"How are we going to get across?" he thought out loud.

"Have you ever thought about swimming across, idiot?" Arthur remarked.

"Not a bad idea." Alfred placed his hands firmly on Arthur's shoulders. He pushed the Wizard forward, straight into the water. He laughed.

"Um… Alfred?" asked Antonio. Alfred looked up. The soldier was already halfway across the water, standing on one of the hippo's backs.

"What?"

"Arthur can't swim."

"... Oh no."

* * *

Arthur was glaring daggers at Alfred as they climbed up a vine to reach the jungle's higher areas. He kicked off the rock, shaking the vine.

"Hey!" screamed Alfred. "There's no need to do that!"

"Considering you almost let me drown, I feel like there is," Arthur said.

"You are an adult. How can't you swim?!"

"That's none of your business!"

"You two," Antonio groaned from above them. "Will you please stop fighting? You've been doing nothing but that since we got here! I don't want to do this by myself" Antonio sighed as his pleads were drowned out by the two below him arguing.

' _I have to get them to work together_ ,' Antonio thought as he struggled to climb up the vine. ' _Otherwise we'll never find the King!_ ' Antonio looked back down. ' _Alfred started acting like this after Arthur hit him. If I remember, he did the same thing back in Wonderland when Arthur yelled at him for running ahead._ ' Antonio sighed as he watched Alfred climb. ' _There has to be something that I don't know…_ '

* * *

Once they got up to the top, the boys saw Tarzan talking to two gorillas. Alfred leaned over to Antonio.

"Did you catch any of that?" he asked.

"Not a word," Antonio answered. He turned to his friends as the gorillas left. "So, where do you go now? Up? Left, Right?"

"We could head back up to the treehouse…" Alfred said.

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Alfred glared at Arthur for a second before looking around. He then smirked.

"We climb." The trio and their jungle friend began to climb the vines once again.

* * *

Antonio made it first onto the treehouse balcony. Arthur rolled his eyes when Antonio pulled him up. He rolled his eyes as Antonio did the same thing for Alfred. he started to head towards the treehouse's entrance. His jade orbs widened when he saw someone at the entrance already. It was Clayton, and he had a gun aimed at what Arthur expected to be one of the gorillas.

Arthur dashed forward. He grabbed the hunter by the waist, sending both of them to the ground as the gun went off. Luckily, it missed the gorilla. However, it did alert Alfred, Antonio and Tarzan to what was happening.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?!" exclaimed Arthur as Antonio helped him to his feet. While Arthur chewed out the hunter, Alfred and Antonio watched as Tarzan walked over to two gorillas who were on the upper level. One of them was one of the gorillas that Tarzan had previously spoken to before. They seemed to talk for a second before both gorillas turned and left.

"You don't understand!" the hunter said to Arthur. Everyone turned back to him. "I was only trying to… A snake slithered by, you see. I saved that poor gorilla's life."

"That's total B.S.," Alfred said with his arms crossed. Arthur shot him a look.

"Alfred, watch your language," said the wizard.

"Oh, come on! It's not like I actually said the word!"

* * *

"How could you do such a thing?!" snapped Jane. The group had dragged Clayton back to the tent and told Jane what had happened. And now, she was furious.

"Now, Ms. Porter, as I told you, I was not aiming at the gorilla-" Clayton countered before Jane cut him off.

"You are not to go near the gorillas again!"

"All because of one mishap? Come now…" The hunter stopped speaking when he saw the angry looks on everyone's faces. Even Antonio had a look of disappointment on his face. The hunter laughed uncomfortable and began to back out of the tent. He finally turned and left. When he did, the tension returned to the tent.

"Well, now that's taken care of," said Arthur, "I suggest we leave." Alfred's jaw dropped.

"Oh, come on!" said the boy. "We haven't even looked everywhere! For all we know, either Sakura, Matthew or even your King could be here!"

"I highly doubt they are. Maybe they're in a different place, and the fact that you caused us to crash wasted our time." Antonio sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Here we go again…" he sighed.

"I did not cause us to crash!" snapped Alfred. "That was you!"

"If I remember clearly, you were the one messing with the controls!" Arthur yelled back. "And you were the one who hit them in the first place!"

"If you had listened to me in the first place, I wouldn't have had to take the controls!"

"You know what?! If you did as you were told, you probably would have listened to me, and we wouldn't be here!"

"I don't care! Even if I did hit the stupid controls, it's because you..."

"Because I what Alfred? Because I struck you?"

"Yes!" Alfred shook his head. "Something inside me has been telling me something over and over, and I chose to ignore it! You look like him, but you're not him! You'll never be him!" Arthur became silent as he stared at Alfred.

"Him?" Arthur repeated. "Who are you talking a-" The Wizard was cut off by the sound of a loud gunshot just outside the tent.

"Hey!" said Antonio, he voice significantly in a lower tone. "What was that?"

"I don't know," said Alfred as he pulled out his keychain. "But let's go check it out."

* * *

The trio ran outside the tent. Alfred had his keyblade summoned, Antonio had his shield out and Arthur was holding on to his wand. They were right to do this, as Heartless were standing outside of the tent.

These Heartless were covered in blue fur, appearing lighter around their head and torso, and darker around their arms, legs and long tails. The center part of their face was pitch-black with jagged edges, and two glowing, yellow eyes. The inner sections of their round ears were a light purple color, as were their large paws and feet, which end with sharp, black claws. They seemed to be wearing golden bracelets and anklets, and the Heartless emblem could clearly be seen emblazoned on their chest.

Arthur looked over at Alfred, hoping the boy would speak during their battle. For once, he was quiet. And it began to worry him.

* * *

The boys cut through the Heartless and sending them back into the darkness. This task took them nearly all over the jungle as well. They were up in the trees once more by the time they finished.

Arthur looked down at his hands. Every thought and every moment since they had landed on this world was replaying in his head.

"Are you alright, Arthur?" Arthur looked up to see Antonio in front of him.

"I'm fine, Antonio," the man answered

"I just can't help but think about something."

"That Alfred isn't telling us something important?" Arthur nodded.

"Exactly. Maybe you were right. I do owe him an apology, but I can't help but feel that this is about more than that."

"Something about his home?" Arthur blinked at Antonio. "I mean, something could have happened where he's from. He did say you reminded him of someone, didn't he?"

"Yes. I can't place my finger on who it is. Do you have a idea?" Antonio shrugged. Arthur stood up. The two turned to look at Alfred, who had been fighting a large cat the entire time they had been conversing.

"Should we help him?" Antonio asked. It was then that Alfred smacked the cat into the nearby trees. He ran over to the pair, grabbing them by the wrists and dragging the pair down the vines.

* * *

The group arrived back at the camp, sweating and tired.

"Who knew that much Heartless could be hiding in the trees?" Antonio said. Alfred sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"They're monkeys, what did you expect?" Arthur said. "For them to be on the ground?" Arthur was hoping for a reaction out of Alfred. The boy was still quiet as the three headed back inside the tent. They all froze. To their surprise, only Tarzan stood inside the tent. Jane was nowhere to be found. "Where'd Jane go?" Antonio walked over to the apeman.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Something coming. Jane, danger," Tarzan said in his broken words. "Jane near... Near tree house."

"That sounds like something may be amiss," said Arthur, crossing his arms. "I say we should at least see what's wrong." Alfred raised an eyebrow. The Wizard narrowed his eyes.

"It's a life-or-death situation, Alfred." Arthur pulled out his wand. "Let's just get it done with." Alfred nodded as all four of them raced out of the tent and back towards the trees.

* * *

The boys looked around the clearing among the trees.

"We were just here a few moments ago," said Antonio. "I don't understand what could've changed."

"Since when do you?" Arthur muttered. Alfred looked around.

"Alfred!" shouted Antonio. The two didn't take the time to notice that Heartless had erupted from the ground, and had tried the attack the three. Antonio held out his shield to protect the three, pushing the monkey against a tree. Alfred held out his Keyblade as Arthur began to fire off spells.

It didn't take long for the Heartless to go away. In the trio's opinion, it was a pretty easy battle. All they had to do to stop the Heartless was to destroy a rather large, black fruit that was hanging about. This all freed Jane and another gorilla, who had been trapped behind some vines.

Arthur wiped the juices off of his face and shook them off his hand.

"Was that really necessary?" he asked. Alfred just responded with a nod. Well, it was a start. Antonio walked over and helped the woman to her feet.

"Are you alright?" he asked Jane. "What happened?"

"Clayton came to the tent, and…" Jane recalled to the group, "That's the last thing I remember."

"Clayton?" Arthur questioned, crossing his arms.

"Gorillas trapped," stated Tarzan, "Terk ran."

"We must help the gorillas," said Jane before all five headed back to the camp.

* * *

"Alright," said Arthur as he, Alfred and Antonio sat outside the tent. He had a stick in his hand and was drawing in the dirt. Before him was a well-drawn map of the area. Alfred had tried to draw the area, but it wasn't long before he gave Antonio the stick to draw a better outline, which he did. Arthur had the stick now, and was mapping out the area.

"Here's the plan," Arthur continued. "Since we didn't see anything on our way back here, my best guess is that we should check out this area." He drew a circle with the stick in the unmarked area to the right of them.

"What makes you think they aren't in the other areas of the jungle?" asked Antonio.

"Because we've already been there. But you're free to go and get lost in the jungle yourself." Arthur stood. Alfred stood as well. Antonio looked between the two. He sighed and stood. "What do you think, Alfred?" The Keyblade Wielder didn't speak. There was a moment of silence. Awkward, tension filled silence.

"Let's just…" Arthur said rather forcefully, "Let's just go towards the right…" The group headed off to the mentioned direction.

* * *

There was a cliffed off area in this direction. In that area, the Heartless and Clayton surround the gorillas. Clayton had his gun aimed at the animals. Before he could open fire however…

"No!" shouted Antonio. This startled the hunter, causing his shot to miss. Clayton turned at looked at the group warily. This distraction also allowed the gorillas to escape their deaths.

"What do you think you're doing, dude?" asked Arthur, who had a firm grip on his keychain at the moment.

"Not Clayton!" Tarzan interrupted before saying something that didn't even sound English. "Not Clayton!" It was that moment that weapons were summoned and the battle began.

All the while, Alfred and Arthur seemed to still be mad at each other, as they were only fighting to protect themselves. When they were about to get attacked from behind, it was Antonio was protected them. The soldier kept his fingers crossed behind his shield that they would get along soon.  
Alfred's eyes darted over to the fleeing hunter. The boy ran over with his Keyblade raised. Arthur, Antonio and Tarzan turned.

"Alfred, don't!" Arthur ordered. However, this order was ignored as Alfred brought down the Keyblade. Everything seemed to stop when the blade hit midair. Alfred jumped back at least several feet as the cliff in front of him exploded, sending pieces of rock everywhere and revealing the tall thicket behind it. Clayton began to hover midair as the invisible enemy below him appeared.

The creature resembled a bipedal lizard looked like a chameleon. It had a yellow body, with five short spines along its back. It stood hunched over, holding its arms out in front of it. Its entire upper body was covered in stripes of various shades of green and yellow, reminiscent of camouflage clothing. Its hands and feet had four toes each, two in front and two in back, with black claws. Its tail was curled up behind it in a spiral. It had a mouth lined by short, pointed teeth, and large yellow and orange eyes with small black pupils. It also had a large, yellow horn on the tip of its snout. Its Heartless emblem could clearly be seen is on its chest. The group cringed at it.

Arthur pointed his wand at the lizard. " _Incendio_!" A ball of fire shot out of the Keyblade's end, and spiraled in the air before striking the lizard's side.

"I think you just made it even more angry," said Antonio.

"At least I did damage this time!" snapped Arthur. Alfred rolled his eyes and charged forward, uppercutting the lizard in the face. The creature hissed loudly and swiped Alfred backwards into Antonio. The boy pulled Antonio to his feet as Arthur took his turn.

He struck the the lizard's back legs with a fireball, making it wobble. Alfred and Antonio exchanged a look. Grabbing the soldier by the wrist, Alfred pulled him into the battle. Alfred stuck the lizard's other back leg while Antonio pushed its side with his shield. Unbalanced by the three, the lizard fell to the ground. Clayton fell off in the process, with the Heartless landing on top of him. The trio cringed when they heard something snap. The Heartless released a heart before fading away. That's when Antonio realized something.

"Hey, you two worked together," he said. "And we defeated the Heartless!" Alfred and Arthur looked at each other as Alfred's Keyblade turned back to a keychain. Alfred turned away from the other, causing Antonio to sigh. "Alfred, you can't stay quiet forever."

"Fine," said Alfred. "Thanks for your help."

"It's a start," muttered Arthur. "Alfred, about before-"

During this conversation, no one had noticed that the gorillas had come back. The largest of them all, and most likely the leader, came up right behind the group. He seized Antonio by the collar and it one swoop threw him over the thicket. Alfred and Arthur stared in shock as the gorilla did the same to them.

* * *

All three landed with a thud on the other side. Alfred groaned as he sat up, pushing Arthur off of him and rolling off of Antonio. His eyes widened in awe at the sight before him as he stood.

"Hey guys," he said to his companions. "Check it out." The Englishman and Italian stood, looking at the beautiful waterfall before them.

"Wow, it's beautiful!" exclaimed Antonio.

"I agree with you," added Arthur. Behind the three, Tarzan climbed over the thicket and landed beside them.

"Tarzan, home," he said.

"Well, you have a wonderful home," Alfred remarked. He laughed a little. "It reminds me off this small pond on the island. Matt and I used to…" Alfred's expression fell. "I miss-" Alfred was cut off when he saw the ape-man heading off into a nearby cave.

"Where's he going?" asked Antonio. Arthur shrugged. In a silent agreement, all three followed Tarzan into the cave.

Alfred, Arthur and Antonio's jaws dropped at the sight hidden in the caves before them. It was a large tree, and on it were thousands of glowing, blue butterflies.

Behind them, Jane and a gorilla entered the cave. Tarzan made a noise that Alfred realized he had said back at the treehouse.

"This is your home?" Alfred asked. "But that means…" Alfred stopped when the sound of a rumbling crossed his ears. Antonio hummed in confusion.

"The waterfalls…" Jane muttered. "They're echoing all the way here." Tarzan said something once more.

"Friends there," he said. "See friends."

"Oh, now I've got it." Jane repeated the sounded Tarzan made. "... means heart. "Friends in our hearts…"

"Heart…"

"Oh," Alfred said sadly. "So that's what it meant."

"Friends, same heart. Clayton, lose heart. No heart, no see friends." Antonio wrapped his fingers around Arthur and Alfred's arms, pulling them off to the side.

"You heard what he said," the soldier said. "You both share the same heart… you guys are friends… sort of. If you two keep fighting like this, you might end up losing your hearts. And we won't be able to find anyone." Alfred and Arthur looked at each other. "Please?" Arthur sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said. For everything I said," Arthur apologized. "I know you're furious at me for whatever unknown reason, but listen to me when I say this. I'm sorry for striking you back on the ship. I shouldn't have done that. It was uncalled for and done out of rage."

"It's fine," Alfred said. "Really. I shouldn't have said what I said either. I barely even know you that well." There was a moment of silence.

Suddenly, the butterflies flew off the tree. In their place was a glowing blue keyhole. Alfred's keychain immediately turned into his Keyblade. The blade was redirected at the Keyhole. Beams emitted from it, straight into the keyhole. The Keyhole clicked, and the Keyblade turned back into a keychain.

"I'm still curious about what the heck that was…" muttered Alfred as he stashed his keychain away. From the place where the Keyhole was, a small item tumbled out. Antonio walked over and picked it up.

"Hey, Arthur!" he called, getting the wizard's attention. Antonio walked over to the other two. "It's made from the same stuff as the ship." Antonio deposited it into Arthur's hand. He began to look at it, however when someone bumped into him, causing him to stumble. Arthur looked down to see the gorilla trying to be friendly with him, if you know what I mean. He paled.

"I think someone has a new admirer," laughed Jane.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Arthur. Everyone began laughing as the gorilla began to chase Arthur around the cave.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a room shrouded by darkness, a group of villains watched the three intently through their crystal.

"What drew the Heartless to that world?"

"The hunter lured them there," said the witch from before. Maleficent. "It was his lust for power that was the bait. But it seems the bait was too tasty for his own good." Laughter erupted from one of the villains.

"Yeah, he got chomped instead!"

"A weak-hearted fool like him stood no chance against the Heartless." The speaker stepped out of the shadows. He was a tall, thin, bony man dressed in extravagant clothing. He was carrying a gold, ruby-eyed, cobra scepter. He wore black robes that reached the ground overtop a red-violet garment with bell sleeves. Underneath this second garment, he wore yet another shirt, this one black with very close-fitting sleeves that reached his wrists. The shoulders of his outer robe were pointed and connected to a long, billowing black cape with a blood red interior. A red-violet sash was tied around his waist. He also wore an odd, light-colored garment that covered his neck, the back of his head, and his chest. The man has a twisted, black goatee. He sports a distinctive black turban, with a thin, yellow pattern wrapping around the middle, with a ruby set in the front, and a bright red feather placed just above it. More red-violet cloth hangs from the turban, draping over his shoulders.

"But those three are a problem," he continued. "They found two of the Keyholes."

"Fear not," Maleficent reassured. "It will take them ages to find the rest. Besides, he remains blissfully unaware of our other plan."

"Yes, the princesses..." said someone in the council.

"They are falling into our hands, one by one," Maleficent said as she waved her hand over the crystal. The image shifted. A young girl was standing outside of the door. It was the missing person of Wonderland- Alice. "Speaking of which..."

* * *

The group had headed back to the Gummi Ship. As Arthur began to prepare it for flight, Alfred began to look at the new piece they had found.

"This block thing came out of that hole," he thought out loud. "It's not like the others." He hummed a bit. "Wonder what it's used for." Arthur shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "I've read nothing about pieces like that.

"Maybe someone back at Traverse Town will know," suggested Antonio.

"Hmm… someone might. Back to Traverse Town, then? I can inform to Emil an the others about what's happened."

"Can I pilot?" Alfred asked excitedly. Arthur shot him a look as the boy leaned on his shoulder.

"Hey, stop it!" He pushed him off. "This is what started our argument earlier!"

"Oh, come on! I'm a Keyblade Wielder!"

"So am I!" Antonio sighed with a faint smile.

"Here we go again…" he said as the three made their course for Traverse Town.

* * *

The flight to Traverse Town was silent. All the while, Antonio and Arthur kept glancing over at Alfred. He seemed back to his normal self, but something still lingered in the air. As they approached Traverse Town, Arthur stopped the ship. Alfred spun to face him.

"Why did you stop?"he asked. Arthur and Antonio faced the boy.

"We're addressing the elephant in the room," said Arthur.

"What?"

"There's something Arthur and I can't help but think about," explained Antonio. "Something only you can answer." Alfred spun away from them.

"This is about what I said, isn't it?" he said, leaning against the dashboard. The silence from his companions only served as a yes. He sighed.

"You said I looked like him even though I wasn't him," said Arthur. "Who is he?" Alfred spun around to face them again.

"I was talking about my dad."


	9. Broken Brotherhood

**Chapter Nine: Broken Brotherhood**

* * *

After a long silence, Arthur spoke.

"Your father?" he said. His voice peaked in interest. Alfred nodded.

"My dad was a great person. He was part of the police force back home. He was a klutz since he got hurt in the job a lot. Mostly on accident. My mom was training as a nurse at the hospital. It's how they met," he explained, digging his fingers into his jeans. "He even gave me my jacket. It's all I have left of him now."

"How did he…" said Antonio." Alfred pulled his jacket closer to his face.

"He was killed in action."

"... I'm sorry," Antonio said after a long period of silence. Alfred shook his head.

"It's fine. It was ten years ago," said Alfred. "Everything's fine. Well, it was until the darkness destroyed everything."

"You want to talk about it?" Alfred shook his head.

"I'm fine now. I mean it." Arthur turned to land the ship. The boy wouldn't give an answer. No matter how hard they had tried to get one out of him.

"Alfred?" he said. Alfred looked over at him. "If you do need to talk about anything, you can come to me or Antonio. We're not just your companions on this journey. We're a team. If one of us falls apart, then we all do." Alfred gave a small smile.

"Thanks."

* * *

Arthur landed the ship in Traverse Town a short while later. The troop exited and entered the front gates.

"Alright," Arthur said as they began walking through the town. He pulled out the piece they had received. "Let's see if anyone can tell us what this is." Alfred nodded.

"We should also see if I we find Emil or Lucille," Alfred added. "Maybe they can explain to me what the deal with those keyhole things are too." Arthur nodded.

* * *

The first thing the group did was go searching for Emil. It took him a few minutes, but they finally found him in an underground cave, training and grinding himself down to the bone. He was with a young girl. She was fairly short, with short, choppy blonde hair and large green eyes. She wore a blue-violet ribbon in her hair. The girl was kind enough to introduce herself as Lili. Alfred explained what happened with the Keyblade's reactions to the Keyholes to both of them.

"So, you found the Keyhole," said Emil once the tale was done.

"Yeah. The Keyblade locked it automatically," Alfred repeated.

"Zhat's a good thing," said Lili.

"Every world among the stars has a Keyhole. And each one leads to the heart of that world," Emil began to explain. "There must be one in this town as well."

"What do you mean?" Alfred asked.

"It vas in Athena's report," Lili answered as Emil crossed his arms.

"The Heartless enter through the Keyhole and do something to the world's core," Emil said, "Its heart, if you wish."

"What happens to the world?" asked Alfred.

"In zhe end, it disappears," said Lili grimly. "Zhose few fortunate enough to escape zhe Heartless end up here."

"What!?" chorused the group.

"That's why your key is so important," said Emil.

"Please lock zhe Keyholes," added Lili. "You are the only one who can."

"I don't know…" said Alfred with a small amount of uncertainty.

"Seeing other worlds would probably serve you well," Emil told him.

"He has a point," said Arthur

"We got to find your friends!" added Antonio. "And our King!"

"I guess you're right... Okay!" said Alfred

It was a brief moment before Alfred remembered one of the reason they had returned to Traverse Town in the first place. "Oh! Right! Arthur, Antonio and I found this weird thing." Arthur held up the gummi piece. "It's different from the others. You know what it's for?"

"Ask Eduard," Lili suggested.

"Thanks!" They waved goodbye before darting out of the cave and back towards the First District.

* * *

The trio walked into the shop which Eduard ran.

"Hey, dude!" Alfred said, greeting the owner at the counter. Eduard spotted the item in Arthur's hand.

"What've you got there?" Eduard asked. Arthur held it out to him. "Hey! Well, if it isn't a gummi block."

"Exactly," said Arthur as he placed it on the counter.

"What's this one for?" Antonio asked. Eduard picked up the gummi block.

"You're kidding me!" he said, looking at the three curiously. "You're flying a gummi ship and you don't know anything about navigation gummis? Interspace isn't a playground."

"There's a lot we don't know. So what!" said Alfred, leaning up against the counter. :We have to use the gummi ship to go to other worlds. We don't have a choice."

"Okay. I didn't know. No hard feelings. Well, I guess I could lend you a hand." Alfred sighed.

"Thanks."

"Basically, with navigation gummis, you can go to new places. You want one on your ship, right?" Eduard asked. The three nodded "I'll install it for you. It'll take until morning. But I got this thing I got to go deliver first."

"What do you need to deliver?"

"Just this book. It's real old. When the man brought it in, it was practically falling apart. Too beat up to restore it to the way it was. But overall, I did a decent job putting it back together. Anyway, you mind delivering it for me?"

"Not at all."

"It's the old house past the Third District. Look for a big fire sign." Eduard handed Alfred the old book before a loud bell rang.

"What was that?" Antonio asked.

"Hmm?" Eduard hummed before understanding what they were referring to. "The bell at the gizmo shop is ringing. Go check it out if you want, but deliver that book for me first. When you're done, stop by the hotel. I'll be there."

* * *

The trio left the shop and entered the Third District, finding the fire sign Eduard mentioned at the end of an alley. Arthur hit it with a Fire spell and the door unlocked.

They entered a large cavern where a house sat on a central island. Several stepping stones lined the path in the water. They jumped on them and the stones began to move rhythmically. Timing themselves, they traversed the stones and reached the house. The house looked beaten and worn down despite its festive purple hue. The front entrance way was covered in wooden boards and cloth. They find a broken hole in the side of the brick wall with a green curtain draped over it, and used it to get into the house. They entered an empty space with a raised platform in the center. Alfred heard a voice behind him and whirled around. It was Sakura.

"There is something about this ord prace…" she said. Sakura walked slowly through the room, holding her hands behind her back. "It reminds me of the secret prace back home, where we used to scribble on the warrs. Do you remember?" She looked toward him and smiled.

"Sakura?" was the only thing Alfred could muster

"Alfred?" said Antonio's voice. Alfred snapped out of his daydream and turned to see a concerned Arthur and Antonio before looking back to Sakura. She was gone.

"Well, well," said a mysterious voice. The three looked over to the entrance curtain and see a young man enter,a cloak draped over his shoulders. He had shaggy light brown hair, and wore a small pearl-like earring on his left ear. He had red eyes and a small fang on the left side of his mouth. With his cloak, the stranger wore a small top hat with two ribbons coming off. He was carrying a bag and a wand in either hand. "You've arrived sooner than I expected."

"What…" droned Alfred before shaking his head. "You knew we were coming?"

"Of course," said the stranger.

"Are you… a Heartless?"

"He doesn't look like one," said Arthur. He looked the stranger up and down. The man placed his belongings on the floor.

"Definitely not," he said, answering the question. He bowed to the three. "My name is Vladimir. As you can see, I am a sorcerer. I spend much of my time traveling. It's good to be home. Your friend told me a lot about you ."

"Friend?" Antonio repeated. "You mean the King?"

"Yes, indeed," said Vladimir with a nod. "Head Wizard Kirkland and Captain Carriedo. And who might this be?

"I'm Alfred," said the Keyblade Wielder, absentmindedly fingering his keychain. Vladimir caught sight of it.

"So, you have found the key I take it?"

"Yes," said Arthur, impatiently. "What did the King tell you?"

"Just a moment…" said Vladimir, holding up a finger to Arthur. He picked up his things walked up to the stairs. Vladimir set down his bag before reaching the center of the raised platform. He lifted his wand high in the air

With a simple wave, dust flew around the bag as it opened and out popped teapots, tables, drawers, and chairs. They were small at first, but quickly grew larger. The sorcerer simple please with himself while waving his wand, directing the items from the bag to their respective places in the house. Soon after, the room was entirely furnished, complete with bed, desk, and multiple piles of books.

"There, now." Vladimir cleared his throat before turning back to his visitors. "Your King told me about your mission. It helps that you three have become rather popular around here. I do not know how much I can be of help, but do stop by anytime."

"We will," said Alfred. "Wait a second!" Alfred pulled out the old book he tucked under his arm on the way there. He held it out to Vladimir. "Eduard said to give this to you." Vladimir took the book from Alfred. He opened it and flipped through its pages.

"Oh, this book…" said Vladimir before offering a grin. "Thank you."

"Out plain curiosity, what kind of book is it?" Arthur asked. Vladimir just shrugged.

"I don't even know myself. In fact, it's not mine. Somehow it found its way into my bag one day. It was such a curious book, I asked Eduard to repair it for me," he explained. He placed it on a small table. "Well, I guess I'll put it here somewhere, for now. This book holds a great secret. The missing pages will unlock it."

"Missing pages?"

"Yes. The book wasn't in the best condition and…" Vladimir faltered. "Long story made short, the pages are somewhere in this mess. I'll find them and put them back in the book. Don't you worry." Alfred approached the book.

"Mind if I take a look inside?" he asked. Vladimir shook his head.

"Be my guest." Alfred slid the strap that binded the book shut out of its lock. Without him even touching the cover, the book opened. A bright light came from its pages as they flipped madly. Alfred released a little shout as light flooded the room.

* * *

Alfred groaned as he hit the ground. He sat up, rubbing his head observing his surroundings. It was a simple looking forest, with only a few trees and bushes scattered here and there. He stood up, wiping the dirt from his clothes

"Where am I, and what happened?" he said to himself before walking forward. This place seemed oddly familiar. He walked on, searching for the answer to his location. Alfred eventually came to a clearing. In the clearing was a large log. He walked up to it. Sitting upon the log was a stuffed toy bear wearing a small red shirt was seated, tapping his forehead.

"Think, think. Think, think," the bear muttered to himself over and over. Alfred walked over and sat down next to him.

"Hi there," said Alfred, getting the bear's attention. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just thinking," the bear replied.

"Oh."

"I was thinking of how to say goodbye to Pooh."

"Pooh?" Alfred repeated.

"Yes?" the bear replied. Alfred laughed at the bear's response.

"Wait a second. You're Pooh?" he asked him.

"Yes, I'm Winnie the Pooh. Pooh for short. Who are you?" Alfred nodded.

"I'm Alfred F. Jones. You can called me Alfred."

"Oh. Hello, Alfred. Have you come to say goodbye to Pooh, too?" Alfred's expression dropped. What did he just say?

"Well, no," said Alfred. "Why would I do that? We've only just met."

"Because everyone's gone away." Alfred straightened up a bit. Is that why the entire place seems so empty? It's inhabitants were gone.

"What do you mean?" Alfred's curiosity had been peaked. And it wouldn't go down if he left it alone.

"Well, we all lived here in the Hundred Acre Wood. And we'd take walks together, or play Pooh sticks… And every day, I'd eat some honey. Just one small smackeral would taste very good right now," Pooh said happily as he rubbed his tummy. "But now everyone's gone. All my friends, and my favorite Hunny Tree too. Everyone must've gone away while I was napping, I think... So, who knows?" He hopped off the log. "Maybe I shall end up going away somewhere as well. But I wonder, how do I say goodbye to myself?" He put his hands on his head. "Think, think, think." Alfred stared at him in wonder. It had been a sad story to hear. Pooh didn't seem like the type that was meant to be alone. "Oh, my tumbly is getting rather rumbly." Alfred sat there as Pooh walked off. After staring at him for a second or three, Alfred got up himself and followed the bear. He didn't get very far when light flashed in front of him.

* * *

Alfred fell backwards, only to be caught by two people. He shook his head to get his bearings. He was back in the strange house. Arthur and Antonio pulled him to his feet.

"Are you alright?" asked Arthur. Alfred shook them off and nodded.

"Yeah. I'm fine," he said before turning to Vladimir. "Hey, as soon as you fix the book, please tell me." Vladimir nodded as he went to shut the book.

"You can put your trust in me," said the sorcerer. "You'd best go see Eduard before going anywhere else. Tell him I'm grateful for repairing the book. Be careful out there."

"We will!"

* * *

The trio left Vladimir's home and began to journey back to the house in which Eduard said he'd be.

"I can't wait to be able to go to new worlds," asked Antonio, rather as excited. Alfred nodded.

"Yup," he said with a grin. "Who knows? Maybe we'll be able to find someone." Arthur hummed a bit.

"And how long until we get the ship back?" he asked.

"Not until tomorrow morning."

"We can stay at the hotel for the night." Alfred raised an eyebrow.

"You think they have any space for all three of us?" Antonio asked.

"Most likely."

Alfred's eyes suddenly widened when something formed from the shadows behind Arthur and Antonio. He went to dig out his keychain. However, the Heartless that had formed behind them was quickly cut down by a blunt object. Alfred froze when he recognized the person that held it. The group turned to face him as a smile grew wide on Alfred's face as he looked at the bot standing before him.

"There you are," said Matthew in a relieved tone as he slid the wooden stick in his belt. "I was worried I lost you after what happened-"

"Matthew!" Alfred sprung forward, wrapping his arms tightly around his stepbrother.

"Alfred…" Alfred laughed before pulling away. "I can't breathe."

"Right. Sorry."

"This is Alfred's brother?" Arthur asked Antonio.

"They look a lot alike for stepbrothers, don't they?" commented Antonio.

"Are you alright, Matt?" Alfred asked Matthew. "From what I saw, you were taken by the Heartless." Matthew gave Alfred a curious look.

"The Heartless?" he repeated. Alfred nodded. He pointed over to where the shadow creature had been moments before.

"That thing. They were the ones who attacked us back on the island." Alfred put his hands on Matthew's shoulders. "Where were you? I've been looking everywhere!"

"I've been looking for you, too," Matthew admitted. Alfred lowered his hands. "I was worried after I woke up. It took me forever to find this place."

"So, you haven't seen Sakura anywhere?" Matthew shook his head.

"I don't remember much from when we were attacked. She's not with you?" Alfred shook his head. "I would not worry. Knowing her, they might be looking for us." From behind him, a Shadow started to rise. However, only Alfred noticed. "We'll all be together again. I know someone who-" In a quick flash, Alfred drew his keychain, summoned his Keyblade and cut down the Heartless behind Matthew. He laughed as he brushed the dirt off of his clothes.

"What were you saying?" Alfred said as he turned around with a grin.

"Alfred, what did you-"

"We've been looking for you, Sakura and these guys' King. You wouldn't believe the places we've been!"

"You would be surprised…" Arthur then cleared his throat.

"And guess what?" Antonio said. "Alfred is the Keyblade Wielder!" Alfred laughed nervously.

"So, this is a Keyblade?" asked Matthew, eyeing the weapon his brother held. "I've heard about them, but I never would expect you to be able to use it."

"Hey!" Matthew laughed quietly. Alfred sighed and shook his head. His Keyblade was changed back into a keychain and was pocketed. "Anyway, I was wondering if you want to come with us. After all, the more the merrier, right? We've got this wicked cool ship and-"

"He's not coming with us." Alfred looked at Arthur Antonio with wide eyes.

"What?"

"Forget it, Alfred."

"Oh, come on! He's my brother!"

"I don't care. Besides, we should really be going back to the others." Alfred sighed, running a hand through his hair. He turned back to Matthew to speak to him. He froze.

"He's gone…" Antonio muttered when he saw what Alfred wasn't looking at.

"Matthew!" Alfred called out as soon as he regained his movement. There was no answer. He turned with narrowed eyes towards Arthur. "Nice going." He sighed. "Well, at least he's okay."

The three began to walk back to the hotel in which they would be staying for the night.

"And who knows?" added Antonio. "We might run into him again soon!"

"I hope so."

* * *

"Hey guys!" Alfred said as he walked into the dining room of the hotel. It was rather small, with barely any chairs. Only a large coffee table and stacks of mismatched cushions. Inside were Lucille, Emil, Lili, Vladimir and Eduard. Lucille was the first to notice their arrival.

"Zere you are," she said, "We were beginning to wonder if you 'ad died or not."

"No, we weren't," Emil cut in. Arthur clear his throat.

"It looks like we'll be spending the night here. Is there any space for-"

"Hey!" Alfred interrupted. "Guess what? I finally found my brother."

"Vhere is he?" asked Lili from the other exit in the room. It was most likely lead to the kitchen. "I'm making dinner. I vouldn't be bozhered vith setting anozher spot at our table if he vants to join us."

"He disappeared," Arthur explained. "At least we know he's alright."

"You best hope so," interrupted Vladimir. "I heard Maleficent is in town."

"Maleficent?" repeated Alfred as he sat down at the table. "Who is she?"

"She's a witch!" said Eduard without a moment's hesitation.

"That's a little harsh," said Antonio. He and Arthur sat down beside Alfred.

"It's true," said Emil, leaning against the table. "She's the reason the town is full of Heartless. Don't take her so lightly."

"She 'as been using zem for years," added Lucille.

"We lost our world to her five years ago," Eduard added as well. "I got us out of the mess and we found this place."

"That's awful," Arthur remarked. "My only question is if we're going to have to face her or not. There's still so much we don't know about the Heartless."

"Our ruler was a wise woman," Emil said lazily. "She dedicated her life to studying the Heartless. All of her findings are written down in a report."

"Oh yeah, I think I know who you're talking about," Alfred muttered out loud. "Athena, right?"

"Yeah," said Vladimir. "Maleficent has most of the pages." Alfred sighed.

"Anyway, we're heading out first thing in the morning. We still gotta to find Sakura and the King. I still need to know what happened to Ma-"

"Dinner's ready!" Lili's voice called out from the kitchen as she entered the dining room, steaming food in her hands.

* * *

While the small group of seven enjoyed their meal together, someone stood outside watching them. It was Matthew. Behind him stood the very witch that the trio of heroes were slowly beginning to fear. She put a hand on his shoulder. Matthew turned.

"Maleficent," he breathed out. The witch was the one who had found him, broken and beaten. She was the one who had helped him get this far. And she terrified him to his core.

"You see? It's just as I told you," Maleficent said. The boy flinched and turned back to the window. "While you toiled away trying to find your dear friends, he quite simply forgotten you, replaced you with someone else. Evidently, now he values them for more than he does you."

"You don't know Alfred like I do," said Matthew. "He wouldn't do something like that. He's my-"

"A friend that forgets his savior?" Matthew's gaze wandered to the ground.

"It was ten years ago. Things have changed since then. Alfred and I have changed."

"Oh really? He's changed. As I observed, he seems to have forgotten about you by now. Some friend he is. The boy who has forgotten his own brother. The who tried so hard to protect him. To fight against the darkness for him." Maleficent laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're better off without that wretched brother of yours. Now, think no more of him, and come with me. I'll help you find what you're searching for." Matthew turned to look at Maleficent. She opened a portal into darkness. Matthew glanced back at Alfred. He looked so happy. Not even worried about where he had disappeared to.

Matthew followed Maleficent into the portal without a second thought.


	10. Path of A True Hero

**Chapter Ten: Path of A True Hero**

* * *

The next morning, Arthur, Alfred and Antonio set out on their ship and out to a great deal of new worlds.

Arthur looked over the map of the ship had installed. It was significantly bigger than before.

"Hmm…" he hummed looking over the map. "We have at least four new worlds opened to us, along with a fifth one we still have yet to charter." He sighed. "So, where to first?" Alfred hummed loudly as he spun in his chair.

"How. About. The. Fifth. One?" he suggested, saying every word as he came around to face Arthur and Antonio. Arthur grabbed the back of Alfred's chair to stop his spinning. Alfred lurched forward, catching himself on the dashboard before he fell out of his chair.

"Antonio? Anything to say on the matter?" Arthur asked as the Keyblade Wielder jerked in the seat. Antonio shook his head, and Arthur nodded his head in turn. He put the coordinates in the ship and soon they were off.

* * *

Alfred tapped his fingers impatiently against the console.

"Arthur~" he asked for about the fifth time. "How long until we get there?"

"About three minutes ago," Arthur answered. Alfred nodded before he understood what Arthur had said. The boy stood up.

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Because you kept asking me, that's why."

"Where are we, Arthur?" asked Antonio before an argument could start. Arthur took a look at the control panel. Alfred looked out the window. His eyes lit up.

"Er… Olympic Coliseum," Arthur answered. His eyes darted up to Alfred. "Alfred, back away from the window." The boy pulled away. He darted down towards the ship's hatch.

"Come on, guys!" he said with excitement. "Let's land and check this place out!" Arthur rolled his eyes as he got the ship ready to land. Antonio walked over to Arthur and looked over his shoulder.

"Why does Alfred seem so excited?" Antonio asked. Arthur sighed in a mix of frustration and annoyance, placing his face in his hands.

"It's Alfred," Arthur explained. "It's just good to know that he's happy." Antonio nodded as the ship began to make its descent.

* * *

The trio arrived at a rather large gate. On either side of the gate were two statues shaped like soldiers. Alfred stared at it in awe.

"This is amazing," he said. Arthur and Antonio walked up beside him.

"Alfred, don't run off like that," Arthur told him. "We don't want to lose you in this world either." Alfred waved him off.

"Should we go inside?" asked Antonio. Arthur looked over him, crossing his arms. "I want to know what's in there." Alfred nodded. He jogged up to the gate and turned back towards his companions.

"You two coming or what?" Arthur and Antonio exchanged a look before following Alfred inside the gate.

* * *

The large gates opened into a surprisingly small lobby. In the lobby, there was a goat-like man writing something on what seemed to be a board of some kind. He hadn't noticed the three enter. The boys exchanged a look. In a silent agreement, Alfred was chosen to get the goat's attention.

"Hey-" Alfred said, walking forward a bit before he was cut off.

"Good timing. Give me a hand, will ya? Move that pedestal over there for me," said the goat as he gestured over to the large, stone pedestal behind them. "I gotta spruce this place up for the games." Alfred smirked.

"This should be easy," he muttered before walking over to the pedestal. He placed his hands firmly on the top of it. Putting his strength into it, Alfred began to push on the pedestal. To all three of the males' surprise, the pedestal didn't move. Alfred tried to push it again. Like before, it still wouldn't move.

"You can't move it?" Arthur said in surprise. "You?! We're talking about the same person who knocked down my bedroom door this morning." Alfred sighed.

"If I could move it, this thing wouldn't be in the same place it is now." Alfred looked over at the goat. "Hey, dude! I can't move this thing! It's way too heavy." The goat stopped in what he was doing."

"What? Too heavy?" he exclaimed. "Since when have you been such a little-" He turned to face the trio that stood before him. Alfred leaned against the pedestal with an eyebrow raised. "Oh. Wrong guy. What're you doing here? This here's the world-famous Coliseum- heroes only!" It was then that something inside of Alfred shattered. The goat moved closer to the group. "And I got my hands full preparing for the games. So run along. Look, it's like this. Heroes are coming from all over to fight ferocious monsters right here in the Coliseum."Alfred's eyebrows narrowed. Before he could do anything, both Antonio and Arthur grabbed the younger's arms, holding him back from moving any further.

"You got a hero standing right in front of you!" Alfred shouted. "I was chosen by the Keyblade! I've saved countless lives! Do you know who the heck I am?!" Before Alfred could speak any further, Arthur clamped a hand over his mouth to shut him up.

"Hero? You?" The goat laughed. The hold on Alfred increased as he struggled harder to be freed. "Hey, if you can't even move this…" The goat attempted to move the pedestal himself. "You can't call yourself...a hero!" He slid down the pedestal in defeat. "Okay, so it takes more than brawn. Well, well, let's see what you can do." It was here that Arthur and Antonio let Alfred go, allowing the boy to fall on the floor. Alfred stood, his normally bright eyes hardened.

"Bring it, you stupid old goat."

"The name's Phil!"

"Don't care!"

"Okay, kid. Let's see what you've got."

* * *

Arthur and Antonio watched from the stands of the coliseum while Alfred ran through the trail. In other words, they watched as he smashed a bunch of barrels.

"Idiot," Arthur thought out loud. "He should have kept calm instead of almost lashing out like that." Antonio hummed a bit, looking over at Arthur.

"What do you mean, Arthur?" he asked. Arthur snapped to attention, realizing he had said his thought out loud. He sighed.

"Alfred has developed this stupid hero complex. In my opinion he did at least. You and I both can figure out why. That's why he gets involved in things he shouldn't. Then again, most of them turn out well I suppose, so that's the upside to it." Antonio nodded and turned his attention back towards Alfred.

"Is that why he got so angry?" Arthur nodded.

"His own morals were insulted, as well as himself. I was afraid he was going to break free of our hold."

"I don't blame him." Arthur shrugged.

"I know. If you drill something into a child's mind at a young age, it's bound to stick."

"Do you think it's because of his family he has it?" Arthur's eyes hardened as the stared at Antonio.

"From his father, maybe. Alfred did say he was an officer. And if I can piece together what happened that night..." Arthur drifted off. He sighed. The way Alfred acted when he spoke about it was unbearable to watch. "He won't talk about it with either you or I."

"Do you think we'll ever know?" Arthur shook his head.

"My opinion? No. Let Alfred trust us at his own pace."

* * *

Once the entirety of the barrels were reduced to absolute shards, Arthur, Alfred and Antonio returned back to the lobby where Phil was waiting.

"You know, you ain't bad, kid," Phil told the youngest of the three. Alfred smiled widely.

"I know," said the Keyblade Wielder. "Looks like I'm heading for the games,right?"

"Afraid not." Everyone- even Arthur and Antonio froze with shock.

"What?! Why not?"

"Two words: You ain't a hero." The wizard and the soldier wrapped their arms around Alfred's again, just as they did before.

"Alfred, calm yourself!" snapped Arthur. The boy ignored him.

"Come on!" Alfred shouted.

"Wanna become a real hero? Start by mastering this spell," Phil said as he threw a small, purple box to them. Arthur caught it.

"I'll take that, thank you," said Arthur. "Alfred really doesn't do magic. Speaking of which, let's go." Antonio and Arthur walked out of the coliseum, with Alfred begrudgingly following.

* * *

"That stupid old goat doesn't know what he's saying," Alfred said, still a little ticked off as he, Arthur and Antonio sat on the steps of the coliseum. "I am a hero. I know people who can prove it."

"Yeah, you and your hero complex. That's all I heard," said Arthur. Alfred snapped up.

"It's not a 'hero complex' or whatever you said."

"Then what is it?" Alfred remained silent and sat back down. "That's what I thought."

"So, what now?" asked Antonio. "We can't leave until we seal the keyhole." Arthur sighed.

"It's probably somewhere in the coliseum."

"And we can't get in there since we don't have a way to enter those stupid games," Alfred added. "So… we wait until night and break in there?" Arthur and Antonio stared at him. "What? It's a good idea. We can use Antonio as like, a way to unlock the door."

"What?" Antonio exclaimed. "Why me?"

"You're the most agile. And if you want to blame anyone for that, you can blame that goat in there."

"Rather a stubborn old goat, wouldn't you say?" Everyone froze and shot up to a standing position at the sound of a different voice that did not belong to any of them.

Behind them there was a man. He had blue skin and blue flames that replaced his hair. His eyes were completely yellow except for his black pupils. He had very sharp teeth and an unnatural black mouth. His face was quite long and thin, with his chin jutting out abruptly. His fingers were long, thin, and clawed. He wore what appears to be a dark grey shirt underneath a black toga, the latter of which seemed to be held up by a small skull pin on his right shoulder.

"Who are you?" said Antonio. He had his hand already placed firmly on his shield, ready to pull it out at a second's notice.

"Whoa, hold on there, kid. Name's Hades, Lord of the Dead," said the man.

"What do you want?" stated Arthur, his hand now clutched tightly around his wand.

"Whoa, hold on there, eyebrows," Hades said rather coolly. Arthur narrowed his eyebrows. "Wait, let me guess. You want to enter the games, right?" The man put his hand on Alfred's shoulder. Alfred brushed it off.

"Yeah, what of it?" asked Alfred.

"Well, then, hey, get a load of this." In a small shimmer, a ticket-like piece of paper appeared in Hades's hand.

"A pass?" Antonio asked curiously as the pass was handed to Alfred.

"It's all yours. Good luck, kid. I'm pulling for you, little shorty." Hades walked away.

"Hey!" shouted Alfred. "I'm not short!"

"Alfred, you just are a head taller than my shoulders," said Arthur, putting a hand on top of Alfred's head. Alfred sighed and looked down at the pass in his hands.

"At least we can get in now," Arthur pointed out as the headed back into the coliseum. "Maybe we'll find the Keyhole."

* * *

To Alfred, at least, Phil's reaction to them having an entry pass was rather entertaining.

"Hey, how'd you get this?" the satyr said in surprise when Alfred handed him the pass.

"We got it off the black market," Alfred said quickly. "So, can we enter the games?

"Well... I guess so." Alfred grinned. "We start with the preliminaries! Ready for the preliminaries?"

"Heck yes!"

* * *

Arthur looked over the list of competitors that had signed up for the games. He raised a thick eyebrow at the list.

"I would be careful, Alfred," he told the one who was getting ready to compete, "Looking over these names, something tells me that these people will not show any mercy." Alfred and Antonio raised an eyebrow each.

"I don't get it, Arthur," said Antonio, confused. "We have magic. We can heal with a potion or a simple spell, so Alfred should be fine, right?"

"What if Alfred runs out of those potions he has? He can't do magic. No one will be there to heal or protect him." There was a brief silence between the trio until Alfred broke it with a loud sigh.

"Fine," said the boy, "I'll try to avoid getting hurt. Besides, it should be easy. I have the Keyblade, after all, right?"

"Either way, I think we should do this together."

"Like a team?" Antonio asked. Arthur nodded.

"Exactly."

"Fine. We'll enter as a team," Alfred said. "Deal?"

"Deal," Arthur and Antonio said in unison. Thus, the games began for the trio.

* * *

The newly dubbed "Team Heart" as Alfred called them anyway, entered the arena.

"So, we fight these guys and we get out of here, right?" asked Alfred as the approached the match area for the first round. Arthur nodded.

"Yes," answered the wizard. "In the meantime, we have to try an not to get injured. Understood?"

"Yup."

"Understood," said Antonio as the first match began.

* * *

It wasn't as big of a shocker as you might think it was for the trio to find out that they would be fighting the Heartless. They were low-level Heartless, so it wasn't that hard to beat them.

Alfred, Arthur and Antonio sat on the sidelines after their first match.

"It wasn't too hard," remarked Alfred. "That was way too easy. This is gonna be a piece of cake."

"Don't get too cocky, Alfred," Arthur told him. "Otherwise, you'll get too overconfident and get hurt."

"Yeah, yeah." Alfred waved Arthur off again. It was then that someone walked past the three.

The man had a short, vertical scar on the right side of his forehead and somewhat short, spiky dirty blond hair with sideburns. His eyes were a blueish-green. Despite the heat the coliseum provided, the man still wore a blue-and-white striped scarf.

The man looked at the three as he walked by. They looked at him as well. No words were exchanged, just looks. There was a sense of awkwardness left behind.

"I hope we don't have to fight him," Antonio said, breaking the tension. "He seems like he would be a tough one to beat." Alfred nodded silently in agreement.

* * *

Rounds two and three went almost as smoothly as the first. While the Heartless proved to be slightly more difficult to defeat, the awkward team managed to get through okay.

After the third match, Alfred was approached by Phil.

"Say, you're better than I thought, kid!" complimented the satyr. "Wish he was here to see this." Alfred raised an eyebrow.

"Who?" he asked curiously.

"Hercules. He's a hero if ever there was one. Too bad he's off visiting his father."

"Yeah… too bad." Alfred went off to join Arthur and Antonio in watching the next match.

* * *

Rounds four and five went by too easy if you asked Alfred. In Arthur's opinion, he was getting too overconfident with himself. Just because they had been victorious in their matches so far, it didn't mean they would win the final.

In between their matches, one of the three would go off and search for the keyhole. Unfortunately, none of them had any such luck.

"What do we do if we can't find the keyhole?" Antonio asked purely out of curiosity before the final. Arthur looked up at him.

"If we can't find the keyhole, that means it must have been sealed already," said the wizard.

"Which means we came here for nothing," Alfred summed up. Arthur nodded.

"Basically." Alfred sighed, but put on a smile.

"Well, I have no regrets. Come on, let's go kick some Heartless!"

* * *

"Antonio?"

"Yes, Alfred?"

"Do you remember what you said earlier? About hoping we don't have to fight the blonde dude?"

"Uh… yes. Why?"

"I think you might have jinxed us there."

"My bad."

The three stood before the man from earlier, the one who had given them the weird look. He drew his weapon. A simple broad sword. Alfred summoned his keyblade. Antonio pulled out his shield, and Arthur drew his wand.

"This should be easy," Alfred said with a smirk. "Dude doesn't look that tough."

"Don't get overconfident," Arthur told him. "Remember, don't judge a person by how they look."

"Whatever. We can handle him."

"I don't know, Alfred," Antonio said nervously. "Arthur may be right this time." Alfred's eyes darted over to Antonio for a second.

"Who's side are you on?" Before Antonio could answer, the final match began. The man attacked first. He swung his sword. Antonio caught it with his shield before it could hit anyone. But, the force of the blow and the second attack that followed knocked the soldier off of his feet, and out of the match.

"Okay, maybe you were right," said Alfred as he raised his guard up.

"I know I was," said Arthur. The man went to attack again. Arthur dodge it before it could do any damage. The two struggled over who would land a hit. Arthur couldn't find an opening to vast a single spell. The man went to strike him, only giving Arthur a few seconds to react with a short burst. The force of this blow was greater than the one before. In the end, the former pirate lost. Arthur was pushed out of the match. Alfred remained.

"Bring it," he said with a smirk. Without a single word, the man went to attack. Alfred countered with his Keyblade. The two clashed several times before they became locked again. It was this time that Alfred felt the force of the blow. The man pushed upwards as they split apart, causing Alfred to lose his balance. He took advantage of this and swiped from under. Due to his lost of balance, Alfred fell over after this hit. As he hit the ground, his Keyblade slipped from his grasp and slid out of reached. He went to get up, but the man pointed his sword at the boy's throat. Alfred froze, not wanting the blade to even come any closer to him.

"This was too easy," said the man. "You're just some random teenager… what the hell is Hades up to?"

' _Hades_?' Alfred screamed inside of his head. The man's eyes wandered over to the Keyblade laying on the ground.

"Ah. I see. Thought it was some plastic toy, but it's actually got some weight to it." The man's speech was interrupted by a low growl behind him. The man froze. Taking this distraction, Alfred removed the blade from his neck and rolled out of the way of it. He grabbed his Keyblade and ran over to where Antonio and Arthur were.

"You guys alright?" he asked. Arthur nodded.

"We're fine," said Antonio. That's when the trio finally noticed the danger behind them. Alfred turned around.

Standing behind them was a creature that seemed to be mutated. The creature was a massive, three-headed dog with black fur and short, cropped ears. His heads were identical to each other, each sporting the same enormous mouths, pink tongues, and long, sharp teeth. All three heads featured glowing red eyes. The dog's legs were rather short, and each ended in a paw with three grey claws. He also had a thin tail and seems to be quite muscular.

The dog knocked their opponent to the ground with one of his paws. His sword clattered to the ground. The dog went to bound and attack the others, but something held it back. Alfred's eyes widened when he saw it was a person.

Extremely muscular, with broad shoulders and a comparatively thin waist, the person was wearing orange-brown armor that ends in metal kilt. His armor didn't extend to his arms, nor to most of his legs. He wore a brown belt around his waist with a gold emblem with a lightning symbol printed on it. His sandals were knee-high and had cross-shaped straps and were brown, as were two wristbands he wore. He had a reddish-brown headband tied around his forehead, pushing back his rust-colored hair, save for one bang that fell over it. He had sky blue eyes and short, deep blue cape.

"Herc!" shouted Phil.

"Phil, get them out of here!" ordered Hercules. No one thought twice before they rushed back inside the lobby.

* * *

"Whew, that was close!" Phil said in relief once Alfred had slammed door shut.

"What was that?" Antonio asked, still out of breath from the sprint it took them to get in the lobby in the first place.

"That was Cerberus, the guardian of the Underworld. Herc should be able to handle him. But then again, maybe not... This doesn't look good." Alfred leaned against the door. He twirled his keychain in between his fingers. He stopped when an idea entered his head.

"Arthur, Antonio," he said, calling over the others. "We should help."

"And how do you expect we do that?" asked Arthur. Alfred held up his keychain.

"Keyblade. Duh."

"Are you sure about this, Alfred?" Antonio asked. "I mean, that dog looks like it could swallow us whole."

"We've face a giant thing of armor that threw us into a wall, a ringmaster that tried to light all of us on fire, and a giant lizard that crushed a human being," Arthur reminded him. "Not to mention we faced countless Heartless that have tried to tear our hearts right out out of our bloody chests! And you're afraid of a dog with three heads?!"

"A bit." Arthur groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Alfred coughed a bit, getting their attention on him.

"So… am I going alone or…?" he asked. Arthur shook his head. Antonio followed after a second as they went to the door.

"Kid, you're not entering the arena, are ya?" Alfred hummed as he turned to look at Phil. "This ain't just some match. This is for real!"

"We're not afraid." Alfred grinned. "You can decide if I'm hero material or not."

"Careful, kid!" Alfred pushed open the door and the three dashed into the arena.

* * *

As they re-entered the arena to find that Cerberus had backed Hercules into a wall. The hero had the blonde man- who appeared to have been knocked unconscious- slung over his shoulder. The dog's ears perked up and it turned when the trio entered. This allowed a distraction for Hercules to run the man into the lobby, and past them.

"Kid, I got two words of advice for you: Attack!" shouted Phil before he too ran into the lobby.

Alfred summoned his keyblade, and Arthur drew his wand. Antonio pulled out his shield. Cerberus roared and stomped around the arena, sending large balls of hellfire at three.

"I don't want to burn again!" Alfred shouted as he rolled out of the way of one.

"You and me both," added Arthur. He pointed his wand at Cerberus. " _Tonitrua_!" A bolt of electricity shot out from the Keyblade, striking the dog's side.

"What the heck was that?!"

"Remember that spell I got earlier?"

"Yeah."

"That's what it was."

"Alfred! Look out!" shouted Antonio. Alfred snapped back to attention just in time to see a ball of fire coming towards him. In something that seemed like an incredibly stupid idea, Alfred swung his Keyblade at it, as if it were a baseball hurtling at him. To a miraculous surprise, the fireball went hurtling back towards the dog. It struck him right between the eyes of his center head.

"Bullseye!" Alfred cheered. The dog stopped for a split second and roared. It barked, trying to snap at Alfred. "Hey!" Alfred rolled out of the way of the dog's bites. Suddenly, Cerberus stopped. The three looked at him.

"Do you think we did something?" asked Antonio. The dog rose up and then dropped to the ground, sending a shockwave of an earthquake throughout the arena. The force of it sent the three to their knees. Just as the three were starting to get their footing back, dark energy began to foam off from one of Cerberus's mouths. He moved forward, sending drops of the dark matter spewing from the mouth and onto the ground. The darkness pooled around the three.

"Don't touch them!" Arthur shouted in an order. The three were sent around the area, avoiding even touching the dark energy. By the time the matter had faded, the three were in different corners. Cerberus looked at the three, trying to figure out which to attack. The closest one was Antonio. Alfred looked over at him, with an idea popping into his head.

"Antonio!" he shouted, causing the Italian to look at him. He made a gesture to what he wanted Antonio to do. "Throw your shield!"

"Why?!" Antonio shouted back.

"Just do it, Captain!" Without a second thought, Antonio threw it. It spun around before hitting all three of Cerberus's heads. The shield landed next to Arthur, to whom Antonio ran over to. Alfred sprinted over to them. Antonio retrieved his shield.

"Thanks Alfred," Antonio said with a smile.

"No problem." However, the attack on the dog failed to disarm it. Without the three seeing it, Cerberus made a move to try and bite Antonio.

"Watch out!" shouted Alfred once he noticed the dog. He swung his Keyblade and brought it down on a head. This was enough force to send the beast to the ground with a heavy thud.

Alfred, Arthur and Antonio looked at the fallen Cerberus.

"Is he dead?" asked Antonio. Arthur shrugged. "Someone get a stick." Alfred raised his Keyblade and lightly tapped the dog. It made a slight twitch.

"Let's get back inside before it wakes up," suggested Arthur.

"Agreed!" said Alfred before all three hurried back into the lobby.

* * *

Hercules and Phil stood in front of the three as Phil read off a piece of paper.

"Thus, I do hereby dub thee junior heroes, and confer upon thee full rights and privileges to participate in the games," he read aloud. "Further—"

"Hey!" Alfred interrupted. "What the heck to do you mean by 'junior heroes?'"

"You rookies still don't understand what it takes to be a true hero." Alfred opened his mouth to speak, but Arthur covered it.

"What does it take?" asked Antonio, since Alfred couldn't.

"Well, that's just something you'll have to find out for yourselves," said Hercules with a smile. "Just the way that I did." Alfred pulled Arthur's hand off of him.

"No problem," he said with his own bright grin. "First, we'll prove ourselves in the games."

"There ain't gonna be any games for a while," said Phil. He motioned over to a sign over the arena entrance that read "closed." "Gotta clean up the mess from that last battle first."

"Okay, then…" Alfred looked over at the pedestal nearby. "Then… what about the pedestal thing? Bet I could move it now." No one said a word, so Alfred took another try and moving the thing. To his surprise, two people stood beside him.

"There isn't a rule saying we couldn't help you, was there?" Antonio said with a little smile. All together, with one push, the pedestal moved forward. All three stopped when they say what was underneath. The Keyhole.

Alfred summoned his Keyblade and pointed it at the Keyhole. A beams of light shot out of it, and the Keyhole locked with a click.

"Well, that's done," said Arthur as the Keyblade changed back into keychain.

"Later, dudes!" Alfred said with a wave as all three left the coliseum.

* * *

Outside of the coliseum gates, Alfred spotted a familiar someone sitting near the exit. Alfred told his companions to wait him as he walked up to him.

"You alright?" he asked the blonde soldier he had fought in the arena. He looked up at him.

"Yeah," he replied. Alfred extended his hand.

"Alfred." The man took it.

"Tim." When the two dropped hands, there was a long silence before Alfred broke it.

"So… why did you go along with him anyway?" he asked.

"I'm looking for someone. Hades promised to help. I tried to exploit the power of darkness, and it backfired." Tim stood up, staring into the sky. "I fell into darkness, and I couldn't find the light."

"I'm sure you'll find it." Alfred pointed towards Arthur and Antonio. "We're looking, too." Tim looked at the boy.  
"For your light?" he asked. Alfred nodded.

"I guess you could say that."

"Don't lose sight of it." Tim started to walk away as Alfred nodded. Alfred turned back to him.

"How about a rematch sometime? Fair and square, no dark powers involved." Tim turned his head, running a hand through his hair.

"I'll pass." Despite the answer, Alfred smiled as Tim left. He ran back over to his friends. And the three departed for the Gummi Ship, and left for a whole new world.

* * *

 **Cast Update:**

 **The Netherlands as Cloud**


	11. Arabian Nights

**Chapter Eleven: Arabian Nights**

* * *

Arthur sat at the controls. Or that's how it appeared. Arthur had switched the Gummi Ship into autopilot not too long ago. The ship had come to a stop when it had arrived at the new world. Antonio and Alfred had been sleeping soundly behind him. They were until a few minutes ago. Now they were standing directly behind him.

"Should we wake him?" asked Antonio. "He looks so peaceful." Alfred nodded.

"I wanna let him sleep too," he said, "but we got a world to get to." Alfred put his hands on the back of Arthur's chair before giving it a violent jerk. Arthur slid off of his arms, hitting his face on the dashboard. He sat up almost immediately.

"What…" Arthur muttered as he rubbed his forehead. He spotted the two behind him. "Don't say anything."

"Arthur?" Antonio asked. "Where are we?"

"Agrabah."

"Hey, Arthur," said Alfred. "Are you sure you're getting enough sleep. You could have killed us by falling asleep at the wheel like that."

"I'm fine. We're fine. I had the ship on autopilot. Now, one more word, and I will turn this ship around." Alfred nodded as the ship made its descent.

* * *

The three walked into the sandy, desert town of Agrabah, which seemed to be pretty deserted and empty. It was here that Alfred took his chance as they began looking around.

"Arthur?" Alfred said, earning a small hum from the Brit. "You know where we are?"

"Somewhere in the center of the town, I believe," Arthur answered.

"It's a bit creepy."

"Oh? How so?" A frown grew upon the boy's face.

"Dude, there's no one here. It's creepy and abandoned." Arthur straightened up.

"You do have a point."

"There has to be someone living here," said Antonio after he gave the town a once-over. "This place hasn't exactly been taken over by the Heartless yet."

"Either that or the Heartless got to the world's inhabitants before we could arrive…" Arthur said grimly.

"So, what?" asked Alfred. "No one's dead here. If everyone was gone, the world would be too." Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing in annoyance.

"How do you know?'

"I've lived through it."

"Right. I forgot about your home for a second," said Arthur. "I apologize." Alfred nodded.

"Let's search the area " Antonio suggested.

"That's not a bad idea." Antonio grinned as the three headed down an alley.

"There's nothing here," said Antonio as he looked around. "I can't find anything or any-"

"Who's there?" said a voice from behind a pile of crates. "Hello?" Everyone whipped around. A girl walked out of her hiding place among the boxes.

She had dark skin, and dark brown eyes. Her thick, black hair was tied into a low ponytail in a blue ribbon, accompanied by a headband with a sapphire in the center set in a gold frame. She wore a blue outfit with long poofy bustle pants and a top which left her forearms and midriff bare. She also sported golden earrings, a golden necklace, and gold slipper-like shoes.

"Are you alright?" asked Arthur. He held up his hands to help the girl out from her hiding place.

"Yes, I'm fine," replied the girl. "Thank you. Who are you?"

"Name's Alfred," said Alfred. "This is Antonio and Arthur." He pointed to each of his companions as he introduced them.

"Nice to meet you," said the girl. "I'm Jasmine. My father is the sultan of Agrabah."

"So, you're the princess," asked Antonio. "Right?" Jasmine nodded.

"But he has been deposed by Jafar, who now controls the city."

"Jafar?"

"You haven't heard of him?"

"Well-" Alfred began to say before Arthur covered his mouth.

"No," said the Wizard. "No we don't."

"He's the royal vizier," Jasmine explained. "He's gained evil powers and seized Agrabah. He's desperately looking for something—something he calls the 'Keyhole.' Jafar caught me trying to escape, but he helped us."

"Who helped you guys?" asked Alfred.

"We were hiding nearby, but he left a while ago to take care of something... Oh, I hope Aladdin's all right."

"Aladdin?" said a mysterious voice that ran chills down everyone's spine. "Where might I find this street rat?" Everyone turned to see the exact same man Jasmine spoke of standing on a nearby ledge. Jafar.

"Jasmine, allow me to find you and your friend more suitable company, my dear princess," said Jafar. "These little rats won't do, you see."

"Jasmine, run!" shouted Alfred. Jasmine nodded before she sprinted into the city. Alfred, Arthur and Antonio summoned and drew their weapons.

"Ah, the one who holds the key." Without another word, Jafar summoned Heartless by his side, which appeared similar to bandits in the desert. The Heartless dropped down on the three.

* * *

It was a quick and short battle, but by the time they were finished, Jafar had escaped. Alfred almost threw his keychain on the ground in frustration.

"Where the hell did he go?!" Alfred said, stuffing his keychain back in his pocket.

"Does it matter?" said Arthur. "We need to find Jasmine before anything bad happens."

"Not to mention we need to to find and seal the Keyhole for this world!" added Antonio, earning him a nod from Arthur.

"Alright," Alfred said. "They must be in town somewhere. C'mon. Let's go before we lose another person. I don't want Jasmine to end up like Alice..."

* * *

The three began walking through the abandoned streets, looking for Jasmine. They were nowhere to be found.

"Where could she be?" Alfred muttered loudly.

"She has to be somewhere," Arthur noted. "We weren't fighting the Heartless for that long. She can't have gotten far."

"Hey, what about up here?" suggested Antonio. Alfred and Arthur turned to see the Italian standing beside a pole. "It leads up to somewhere."

"Good eye, Toni," Alfred said as the two walked over. He grabbed the pole and began to shimmy up it, followed by Arthur and Antonio.

Antonio was right. There was an opening at the top that opened up into a room that looked like it had been lived in.

"Where are we?" Antonio asked. Alfred walked over to a nearby window, pulling back the fabric that acted as a curtain. It opened to show a perfect view of Agrabah's amazing palace.

"I don't know," said Alfred. "But check out the view."

"Nevermind the view," said Arthur. "We're trespassing."

"Aw, stop worrying." Alfred hummed a bit when his blue eyes caught something moving underneath a nearby crate. He raised an eyebrow as he walked carefully over to it. He pushed the crate, allowing him to get a full view of what was underneath. Before he could get a good look at it, the object flew out from underneath and around the room. It came to land in front of the three, whom were all staring at it in awe. The object was a ornate, violet carpet with gold designs.

The carpet spun around each of them in turn, as a sort of thank you. It sort of bowed to Alfred before flying out the open hole in the wall. Arthur walked over and looked out of the makeshift window.

"It looks like it's heading off towards the desert," he said before pulling back inside.

"I say we follow it!" exclaimed Antonio.

"Why? It's just a carpet that can fly," Alfred said. There was a pause as Antonio and Arthur stared at him. "What am I saying? It's a flying carpet! Let's follow it!"

* * *

Alfred, Arthur, and Antonio slid down the pole and ran through the streets of Agrabah, following after the carpet. The carpet flew out of the city and to the desert. The trio chased after it still, despite of the hot sand now beneath their feet.

"Where could this thing going out so far in a desert?!" shouted Alfred, wiping sweat off of his forehead.

"How should I know?" Arthur said as they continued the chase.

The carpet finally came to a stop far out into the desert. Before the three stood a young man and something else stuck in quicksand, and sinking fast. The man was already waist deep. Alfred went to dash forward and pull the man out, but a group of Heartless appeared between them. They drew and summoned their weapons. They took down the Heartless quickly, and Alfred made another grab for the young man. However, more Heartless surrounded them once more.  
"Not again!" Antonio cried out, holding his shield closer to his body. Alfred narrowed his eyes and turned back to the young man. He grabbed him by the hand and used his strength to pull him free of the sand. It was now that Alfred was able to get a better look at him.

He had tan skin and brown eyes, as well as black, shaggy hair. He wore a red-violet fez and a thin, purple vest. This vest hung open, exposing his chest. His pants were white and baggy and are held up by what seems to be an orange sash. There was a yellow patch on the lower right of his pant leg, and he was barefoot. The man pulled out an old, dirty lamp from his clothes.

"Genie, get rid of these guys!" the man cried out as he rubbed the lamp. He held it up in the air. Magic sparked from the lamp, followed by blue smoke. A large blue genie erupted from it with a yell.

"Wish Number One, coming right up!" said Genie. He snapped his fingers, causing the Heartless to vanish around them.

Arthur and Antonio walked over to where Alfred and the young man were.

"Thank you for the assistance," said Arthur as his Keyblade became a keychain once more. "Are you alright?" The man nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks for the help," he said. "My name is Aladdin. And this-" A small monkey hopped up on Aladdin's shoulder, "is Abu. Who are you guys?"

"My name is Antonio," introduced Antonio. "These two are Arthur and Alfred."

"We found that carpet of yours and followed it here," Alfred explained. "I'm sorta glad we did, otherwise you'd be toast."

"I see…" said Aladdin. "Thanks, guys."

"Aladdin, what're you doing out here in the first place?"

"Same old stuff. Hunting legendary treasure. Just paid a visit to the Cave of Wonders." The carpet- which had been circling above them the entire time- landed down next to Aladdin. "I found that magic carpet, and this lamp." He raised the lamp up so the trio could get a better look. "Legend has it that whoever holds the lamp can summon the—"

"Please, kid, leave the intros to a professional," Genie interrupted. "The one and only GENIE OF THE LAMP! Rub-a-dub-dub the lamp and have your dearest wishes granted. Today's winner is… Aladdin! Congratulations!"

"Any wish?" Arthur asked with a slight mix of curiosity and peaked interest. "I doubt it.

"Patience, my bushy-browed friend. Any three wishes! A one wish, a two wish , a three wish. Then I make like a banana and split! Our lucky winner made his first wish—" Genie disappeared and reappeared next to Alfred, making him jump. "And let me tell you, what a doozy that wish was— So he has two left. So, master, what'll you have for Wish Number Two?" He spun around and dropped a spotlight on Aladdin. Aladdin put his hand to his chin, trying to think of something

"Hmm," Aladdin hummed in thought before coming up with an answer to the question asked, "How about making me a fabulously wealthy prince?"

"Oooh! Money! Royalty! Fame! Okay, you asked for it! A hundred servants and a hundred camels loaded with gold! Just say the word and I'll deliver it in thirty minutes or less, or your meal's free." He flew over to Aladdin and put an arm around his shoulder. "Hey, I'll even throw in a cappuccino!" Aladdin laughed.

"No, thanks!"

"Okay."

"I think I'll put that on hold until we reach Agrabah."

"Eh, why do you want to be a prince?" Antonio asked, slightly confused.

"You see, there's this girl in Agrabah named Jasmine," Aladdin explained. "But she's a princess, and I'm... Aww, she could never fall for a guy like me." He looked towards the ground.

"Princess?" asked Arthur curiously.

"Jasmine?" Antonio finished. Alfred snapped his fingers.

"Oh, that's right! I forgot!" exclaimed the Alfred. "She's in trouble, Aladdin!"

"What?" said Aladdin. "Well, c'mon, let's get going!" The group quickly boarded the Magic Carpet, which started flying, and the group headed back to Agrabah.

* * *

The three flew back to Agrabah, with the Genie flying along beside them.

"Ah, fresh air! The great outdoors!" said the Genie happily.

"I'm guessing you don't get out much, do ya?" asked Alfred with a little smirk.

"Comes with the job. Phenomenal cosmic powers. Itty-bitty living space. It's always three wishes, then back to my portable prison. I'm lucky to see the light of day every century or two…"

"That's terrible!" Antonio said, slightly saddened by the story.

"Say, Genie," said Aladdin. "What if I use my last wish to free you from the lamp? What do you think?" Genie smiled.

"You'd do that?" he said with his voice full of hope.

"Genie, it's a promise. After we help Jasmine."

* * *

The carpet finally landed back into the room they trio had been in before, which they now realized was Aladdin's home. It was there that they explained to Aladdin what they had found out from Jasmine and why they were here in the first place.

"So, Jafar is after Jasmine and this 'Keyhole,'" Aladdin summarized. Arthur nodded.

"Keyhole, eh?" asked the Genie. "I could swear I've heard about that somewhere before…"

"Really?" said Arthur, "Then can you tell us where it is?"

"Now, where was it? It's only been two hundred years…" Arthur sighed, which was followed by a small moment of silence. Alfred cleared his throat to break it.

"Well, anyway, we've got to stop Jafar before it's too late," he said. "Any idea where Jasmine might be?"

"We could try the palace," Aladdin suggested. "I can show you where they are, come on!"

* * *

The trio, Aladdin and the Genie left Aladdin's house quickly and headed off towards the Palace Gates. However, the path to it was blocked. It required a skilled athlete to get to the gates, which they did by climbing up on a ledge and over the walls.

Standing in front of the gates was Jafar. With him were both Princess Jasmine. The group jumped down to their level, which also alerted Jafar to their presence.

"Setting your sights a little high, aren't you boy?" Jafar said to Aladdin. "Back to your hole, street rat. I will not allow you to trouble the princess any more."

"Jasmine!" Aladdin shouted.

"I'm so sorry, Aladdin," Jasmine said. It was obvious that she didn't want to say it.

"Okay, if you only want Jasmine, then let Mei go," Alfred said, his tone turning into a stone cold one. "She has a family waiting for her."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Alfred," Jafar said. Antonio, Arthur and Alfred froze.

"What?"

"Alfred, how does he know?" Arthur whispered loud enough only for him, Alfred and Antonio to hear.

"I don't know." His eyes narrowed. "Just let Jasmine go already!" Jafar held out an arm to block Jasmine from trying to escape. Out of the corner of his eye, Alfred could see Aladdin pulling the lamp out from behind his back.

"Genie, help Jasmine, please!" he muttered. Jafar's eyes went wide as he turned. The Genie had appeared, carrying Jasmine in his arms.

"One wish left!" Genie said cheerfully. "You're making this really easy, you know." Jafar smirked.

"So sorry, boy. I'm afraid your second wish has been denied," he said. A colorful parrot flew over to Jafar. He was holding the lamp. The trio's eyes went wide as Aladdin looked at his empty hands. The parrot, Iago, dropped the lamp into Jafar's hands.

"I'm sorry, Al." Genie disappeared. Jasmine fell from midair, screaming a little before landing in two clay pots individually. The pots then sprouted spider like legs.

"Holy crap!" exclaimed Alfred as he summoned his Keyblade.

"And now, I bid you all farewell. Attack!" Jafar ordered before disappearing. The two pots behind the heroes exploded and shattered, revealing a front and back of a Heartless. Alfred took his Keyblade and tried to hit what looked like to be the head. The antennae the head possessed lit up with bolts of lightning.

"Alfred, watch it!" exclaimed Arthur as he pulled out his wand. The Englishman pushed the boy out of the way before he was electrocuted.

"What was that for?!" exclaimed Alfred. "I was handling it!"

"You're welcome." Alfred stood and went to attack again. Two distinct sounds hit Alfred's ears. The first was a frightened cry for help, which most likely belonged to Jasmine. Antonio went to try and get her out of the pot she was in, but the other clay pots around them sprouted legs as well. The soldier jumped back, pulling out his shield. The pots walked around the area towards the Heartless. They all watched as the spider-like pots joined with the head and tail of the Heartless, becoming a large centipede. It began heading towards the direction of the desert.

"No!" shouted Alfred. He raised his Keyblade and brought it down on one of the pots. it smashed into pieces, but the princess was nowhere to be seen.

"We have to smash the pots," Arthur concluded out loud. The trio nodded to each other and chased after the centipede. Arthur waved his wand, casting electricity on the row, smashing several pots. All empty.

This went on for a while, with all of them smashing the pots and attacking the centipede in hopes of finding Jasmine.

Soon, only one pot remained. The centipede began to run faster. Arthur and Alfred raced after it. With one hit to each of its sides, the Heartless faded away, releasing a heart into the sky. Antonio took to smashing the last pot with his shield. Aladdin ran to catch up with them. Jasmine was not in the shattered pot.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin called out. Instead of hearing either of the Jasmine's, a evil laugh ricocheted around them from the desert.

"To the desert! Come on, let's move!" Without even second guessing Aladdin's order, the trio followed him as they ran towards the desert.

"Why are we following him? It's not like we need him or anything," Arthur muttered to the others.

"He's in love with Jasmine, you know that," Alfred told him. "Love makes you do stupid things. I've seen it happen."

"You've been in love, Alfred?" asked Antonio. Alfred paused for a minute and shook his head.

"No. The only people I love are my friends and family, and that's something different. It's mostly why I'm here."

"I think get it. You love Matthew, right? Because he's your brother," said Antonio. "And you want to save him. Him and Sakura, too!"

"Yeah."

"Oi you two," said Arthur, getting Alfred's and Antonio's attention. They had already arrived in the desert. Aladdin and Arthur were sitting atop the magic carpet. "Stop talking and get up here." The boy and the soldier scrambled onto the carpet. And off they went, deep into the desert to save Princess Jasmine.

* * *

The carpet flew for what seemed like hours until it came to a stop at the same pit of quicksand where the trio had found Aladdin earlier. They stepped off of the carpet and walked towards it.

"Okay…" said Alfred with slight skepticism. "Now what?" Before anyone could answer the question, the sand before them lurched upwards. The ground beneath their feet shook as a large tiger head rose out from the sand. Its mouth opened with heat and flames emanating from its depths. Its eyes glowed an evil glow. A glow filled with darkness.

Alfred pushed Arthur forward. The Wizard glared back at him before taking a few steps forward. The tiger reeled upward and attempted to blast him with a stream of blazing hot sand. It didn't hit him, however, because Antonio had jumped in with his shield to stop it.

"Thanks," said Arthur as Antonio gave him a little smile. Alfred summoned his Keyblade.

"Okay, the Cave is possessed," he said. "Never thought I hear that come out of my mouth. Let's get the salt and get rid of that darkness."

"Alfred, what are you prattling on about?" asked Arthur as he pulled out his wand

"... Nothing." It was here that Heartless appeared before them. The three attacked them.

During this attack, everyone failed to notice the tiger head was their target. It released a beam of energy striked Aladdin in the back, knocking him over and out of the battle temporarily. Alfred's eyes darted upward to see the beams of energy coming from the tiger's eyes.

"We need to hit its eyes!" Arthur looked over at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?!"

"You take care of the Heartless, then Mr. Skeptical." Arthur rolled his eyes as he shocked a Heartless with a bolt of electricity. Alfred ran over to Antonio.

"Antonio, mind helping me out?" he asked. Antonio hummed a little bit.

"Yes, but what can I do?" said the soldier. Alfred grabbed Antonio by the wrist and dragged him off just as the tiger head buried itself deep in the sand. He pulled Antonio on top of the head right before it reeled back up and released another spout of sand.

"What are we doing up here?"

"Just hit the right eye! On my count, got it?" Antonio nodded as Alfred stood up as best he could and ran over to the left eye. He looked over at Antonio with a nod.

"One, two, THREE!" In unison, Alfred brought his Keyblade on the left eye as Antonio hit the right one with his shield. Antonio ran over to Alfred as the head settled down and the darkness disappeared from its eyes. Together they jumped down off the head as the Heartless disappeared. Arthur and a healed Aladdin walked over to them.

"You attacked the eyes… both of you," said Arthur, stowing his wand away in between his tunic and belt. "That is the stupidest plan either of you could come up with." Alfred shrugged as he slid his keychain into his pocket.

"Hey," he said. "It worked, didn't it?" Arthur groaned as he turned away from the other three and headed down into the cave. The others followed in after him.

* * *

The cave opened up into a larger cavern that had very little light. It was damp, which was most likely due to the water surrounding the four. Arthur created a small ball of light that allowed the group to see.

After a while of walking further, the came to a dead end. Not really a dead end, actually. It was more like a set of stairs that lead down into the water.

"Well, this is fantastic…" Arthur muttered sarcastically as Aladdin walked past him and jumped straight into the water. Alfred and Antonio stood beside Arthur. "You're not going to push me in again, are you?" Alfred shook his head.

"First off, I was mad at you before. Secondly, we're gonna carry you across," said the boy. Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"Carry me across how?"

"Like this," said Antonio from behind. Before Arthur could protest, Antonio had already picked him up and jumped in the water. "It would help if you kicked your legs a little."

"This is embarrassing."

"Well, we'll start on your swimming lessons after we save the entire universe," said Alfred before jumping in after them.

* * *

After a while of swimming, the group came across a small waterfall heading downward. the swam down it and kept going. Swimming from cavern to cavern.  
Soon Antonio's limbs were growing tired from having to support him and Arthur. Luckily, there was an opening up ahead that lead to a room.

Arthur and Antonio pulled Alfred out of the water as the four walked into the room. A twinkle sparked in Alfred's blue orbs. Before them stood a room full of piles of gold coins, crowns, statues and anything that could glitter. Alfred shook his head to clear his mind from the treasure before bounding over to the others, and walking into the next room.

They could faintly hear voices coming from the next room before they ran in. The final room was move cave-like in appearance. In the center was a stone circle, surrounded by four stone platforms. On the one in front of them was Jafar, who was standing over an unconscious Jasmine. Next to them was a woman who just seemed to radiate darkness and the Genie. All four were in front of what they had been looking for. The Keyhole. The group stopped in the center of the stone circle.

"Are you… Maleficent?" Alfred asked, not thinking about what came out of his mouth

"Maleficent?" Arthur repeated. The witch didn't say anything, but vanished into the darkness.

"Jafar, let Jasmine go!" shouted Aladdin.

"She's a person, too. She doesn't deserve this!" Alfred added.

"Not a chance," said the vizier. "You see, Jasmine's a princess—one of seven. When combined, they have the power to open the door."

"Open…" Antonio repeated.

"...the door?" finished Arthur.

"But you fools won't live to see what lies beyond it," Jafar continued. "Genie! My second wish. Crush them!" Aladdin gasped loudly as Genie hung in the air before them.

"Genie, no!" he yelled.

"Sorry, Al. The one with the lamp calls the shots," said the Genie, "I don't have a choice." Jafar raised his snake staff into the air, and its eyes glowed, creating a magic barrier around the room, blocking the exit and the Keyhole. Alfred summoned his Keyblade, Antonio pulled out his shield and Arthur drew his wand.

Jafar began chanting a spell and he sent a beam of heat from his staff at them. Aladdin runs forward and attacked Jafar with a sword he had acquired at some point. Before the man could even land a blow, Jafar teleported to the other side of the room. Genie began to float towards the trio and Aladdin.

"I'm really sorry about this. Run!" Genie said as he swiped at them. They rolled out of the way. Alfred dashed after Jafar with his Keyblade in hand. He managed to land a blow. However, before he could land another, Jafar chanted a spell, causing a giant hailstorm in the center of the room. Arthur and Antonio became trapped in the middle of it. While the sorcerer was distracted by casting this spell, Aladdin took the chance to strike from behind. The vizier pulsed with energy from this final strike. Lightning crackled around him, and he gave out a painful cry and vanished. The hailstorm stopped, and the group ran over to where the princess laid.

Before they could get anywhere close to them, Jafar gave out one final command as they climbed up on the pedestal.

"Genie!" They all turned to see Jafar floating in the center of the room, holding up the magic lamp, "My final wish! I want you to make me and all-powerful genie!"

"No!" Alfred cried out. Genie covered his eyes and looked away, pointing his finger at Jafar and releasing as small amount of wish energy as possible. It struck Jafar, who began to glow. The floor crumbled beneath him, revealing a large pool of magma surrounding stone platforms. Jafar descended towards the pool, and the three stared down into the frightening, gaping maw. The four jumped down into the cavern, searching around for Jafar. Suddenly Jafar burst out from the lava with a great laugh. He gazed down at them evilly in his red genie form, brimming with power and malice. Iago flew by them, holding a coal black lamp

"The lamp! Get Jafar's lamp!" shouted Aladdin.

"Iago! Keep the lamp away from them!" Jafar ordered. And thus the battle began. Jafar attacked first, raising large rocks from the magma, and sent them hurtling towards the three. They jumped out of the way, avoiding the lava-covered rocks at all costs.

"We have to get that lamp!" said Alfred as he hit a rock coming at him with his Keyblade.

"What on earth would give you that idea?!" asked Arthur.

"He's a genie, now right?" Arthur was silent for a second.

"You want to get him in his lamp."

"You've seen the movie, right?"

"Hey, Alfred," interrupted Antonio. "The bird has the lamp." Alfred almost dropped his Keyblade when he had heard this. Looks like he forgot about that one tiny detail.

"I don't care! Get the lamp!" he shouted. Alfred, Arthur and Antonio bounded after the parrot, trying their best not to get burned by the rocks. As soon as they we right under Iago, Arthur raised his wand.

"Glacius!" he chanted. The snowball shot out of the blade, but only nicked Iago's tail. "Dammit!"

Antonio spotted something out of the corner of his eye. It was a molten rocks headed straight for them. He looked down at his shield. He then ran forward, holding it out in front of him and the others while they tried to get the lamp. The rock hit his shield with a great amount of force, it made the soldier wonder how Alfred was ever even able to hold back against these thing when he swung them back.

Before Antonio could catch up with the rest of them, another rock was heading towards them. He kept his shield raised as the rock hit it again. This one had a little more force in its throw, and pushed him back. And again, a rock hit him. They were being targeted at him. He didn't know why, but they were.

The air became dense with the heat rising from the magma combined with the heat from the lava hitting him, it was becoming hard for Antonio to breathe. His feet kept slipping. Inch by inch, he kept going backwards as the rocks hit his shield. Soon enough, he could see that Alfred and Arthur had cornered Iago for a few seconds before the bird took back off. It was in this moment that he didn't keep himself planted on the platform. A rock hit his shield. Antonio was on the edge.

"Antonio!" shouted Arthur. "Antonio didn't look up from behind his shield. "Get away from the edge! You're going to get hurt!" Antonio shook his head.

"Come on, dude!" Alfred also shouted. "Come over here!"

"No!" said Antonio. "He's aiming for me, not for you!"

"Just get away from the edge!" said Arthur.

"No! If I move, he's going to hit you! I don't want you to get hurt! I have to protect you!"

"Antonio, you don't have to!"

"But I want to." A rock hit the shield one last time. Antonio lost his balance.

"Antonio!"

Alfred and Arthur knocked the rocks trying to hit them out of the way as they raced over to where Antonio had fallen. The soldier they were searching for was on the platform below them

He laid right before them, on a platform that was risen only inches above the magma. Both of them jumped downward. Antonio sat up, his shield on the other side of the platform.

"You are an idiot," said Arthur as he tried to pull the man to his feet. Antonio gave a small shout before his knee buckled, sending him to he ground again. "A bloody idiot with an injury. You best hope that's not too serious I can't heal it with magic. You stay here."

"I don't have a choice, do I?" asked Antonio. Alfred picked up his shield.

"Nope," he said as he and Arthur climbed back up to the main platform.

The chase to catch Iago then continued, only this time, Arthur and Alfred did not have someone to protect them from Jafar's attacks. Alfred didn't exactly know how to use Antonio's shield properly. They raced around the platforms trying to catch him. Having enough, Arthur raised the platform higher so they could catch the bird.  
Alfred raised his Keyblade and hit the bird's talons. Iago dropped the lamp as a result of this. Alfred caught it in his open hand.  
"Okay, Jafar! Back to your lamp!" he called out as he held the lamp up. Jafar screamed as magic from the lamp whipped around him, pulling him into it. He grabbed Iago at the last second. Both became trapped inside the lamp.

Alfred looked down at the lamp in his hands as Aladdin, Arthur and Antonio ran up to him. Antonio was leaning against Arthur for support.

"I can't believe that actually worked," said Arthur.

"You have to stop doubting me," Alfred said with a laugh. "After all, I was right about the tiger head, wasn't I?"

"Shut it." Alfred laughed again as the magic carpet swooped in. The group climbed onto it so they could get on the platform the girls were on. Eyes widened as they stepped onto it. Jasmine was gone.

"Jasmine? Jasmine!" Aladdin called out. There wasn't an answer.

The Keyhole in front of them began to glow. Alfred raised his Keyblade. A beam shot out from it, and straight to the Keyhole. The Keyhole sealed and locked with a click. The click resonated throughout the cave. The walls around them suddenly began shaking.

"Hey, we'd better get out of here!" exclaimed Antonio. The uninjured pair climbed onto the carpet, pulling Antonio up with them.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin called out one more time before Alfred pulled him onto the carpet. They flew out of the Cave of Wonders before it collapsed completely.

* * *

The carpet took everyone back to the safety of Agrabah and to Aladdin's home, which is where they currently were at. Arthur was standing next to Antonio, taking a look at his leg. He held his wand over it. Both Antonio's leg and the tip of Arthur's wand were glowing a faint green

"I said it before, and I'll say it again," Arthur told the soldier. "That was very dangerous and stupid."

"I know," Antonio said with a sigh. "Can I move my arm now?"

"Yes. It should be fine by now." Antonio nodded and stood. Alfred looked over at Aladdin. He had a rather distraught look on his face.

"Hey, dude," the Keyblade Wielder said to him. "I know you're worried about Jasmine, but she's fine. She's probably not in Agrabah. Okay, she's not anymore she should be fine."

"So, Jasmine's no longer in Agrabah," said Aladdin. Alfred nodded as he was joined by Arthur and Antonio, who's leg seemed to be healing steadily. "Guys, let's go find her." Alfred shook his head.

"Sorry, but we can't take you with us," he said sadly.

"Wh-Why not?"

"I wish we could…" Antonio said, hiding his hands behind his back.

"But we can't," Arthur finished for him. "If we take him to another world, we would be…"

"Muh... Mudd— Uh… what's the word?"

"Meddling!" Antonio laughed nervously and nodded. Alfred put his hand on Aladdin's shoulder with reassurance.

"Aladdin, we'll find Jasmine," he said with a small smile. "I swear on my life we will." Genie- whose lamp Aladdin had taken at the last second- patted his former master's back as Alfred let go.

"Uh, earth to Al. Hello?" said Genie. "You still have one wish left. Look, just say the word. Ask me to find Jasmine for you."

"I...I wish… For your freedom, Genie."

"Al!" Magic swirled around Genie. His smoky tail split into two solid legs. The golden cuffs on his wrists disappeared.

"A deal's a deal, Genie. Now you can go anywhere you want. You're your own master," explained Aladdin. "But if you can, it'd be great if you could go along with them and help Alfred, Arthur and Antonio find Jasmine." Genie turned away, crossing his arms.

"Sorry, Al. I'm done taking orders from others. But…" The Genie turned back with a bright smile. "A favor, now that's entirely different. I guess I could give that a try." He put a hand on Aladdin's shoulder. "After all, we're pals, right, Al?"

"Genie…"

"Just leave it to me!" Aladdin ran his hand through his hair with a laugh.

"I guess we'll just be on our way then," said Alfred. "See you guys!" Alfred, Antonio and Arthur headed for the exit.

"Everyone," The trio stopped and turned back when Aladdin spoke. "Please find Jasmine for me." Alfred smiled and nodded.

"Will do."

* * *

The three situated themselves back in the Gummi ship. Antonio spun his chair to face Alfred.

"Alfred?" he asked. The boy hummed in response. "Can I have my shield back now? You never gave it back to me…" Alfred spun around and laughed.

"Sorry dude," he said as he dug around in his pocket. He removed the shield from his arm and tossed it at Antonio. "Catch." Antonio caught the shield in his hands.

"Thank you," he said. Antonio slid it into its place on his back. Alfred couldn't help but stare at it. Familiar images of a staff, a shield and a sword came to his mind.

"I think I understand…" he muttered louder than he had wanted to.

"Understand what?" asked Arthur. Alfred perked up.

"I had some crazy, drug-trippy dream the day I lost my home," Alfred explained. "It involved a shield, a wand and-" Alfred held up his keychain. "A blade."

"So what?"

"I think it has something to do with the three of us. You guys were in it too." Arthur turned to the controls.

"Alfred, it probably was just coincidence."

"The power of the mystic…" Alfred, recalling hearing those words before. "Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin."

"What did you say Alfred?"

"That's you." Arthur glanced down at his wand for a second.

"Okay…" Alfred pointed at Antonio.

"The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all." Alfred drew a breath. "The power of the warrior. Invincible courage." He summoned his Keyblade into his hand. "A sword of terrible destruction. This one's me."

"So, you think we represent these three?" asked Antonio. Alfred nodded. His blade turned back into a keychain.

"I don't know what it means though."

"Alright say if this is true," Arthur sighed. "My guess is we're supposed to work together to seal the Keyholes. After all, there are more strength in numbers. A trinity." Arthur began to start the ship. "Alright, here we go."

"Arthur, the trinity is a very rare thing. Are you positive that it's us?" asked Antonio.

"There are three of us."

"What's the Trinity?" asked Alfred. "It's not some religious thing, is it?" Arthur shook his head.

"Not in this case."

"The Trinity is a very powerful union," explained Antonio. "It's a bond between three close people. When we work together, we can do unthinkable things." Alfred nodded. He looked over at Arthur.

"So, you do believe me?" Alfred asked him.

"I'm not contradicting you, am I?" Alfred laughed, knowing he truly had been right. The ship took off, bound for another world.

* * *

Meanwhile, a lone figure stood in a dark chapel. In front of him was a crystalis of some kind embedded into the wall. Matthew stared up at Princess Jasmine, trapped in her behind him, he could hear voices.

"That smarmy vizier could've had 'em—if someone had stuck around to give him a hand," the voice of Hades rang on Matthew's ears. Matthew turned to face him and Maleficent. He narrowed his eyes.

"I did my part," said the boy, "I brought the princess, didn't I?"

"Jafar was beyond help, consumed by his own hatred," Maleficent told Hades, defending Matthew from his wrath. "One should beware of letting it burn too fiercely."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Lighten up. I'm as cool as they come, okay?" Hades said cooly before turning to Matthew. "By the way, kid, have we got something special for you." Matthew raised an eyebrow as he walked over to the two villains. He eyed Maleficent warily as she walked over to him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We had a deal, yes? You help us, and we help grant you your wish..." she said. Maleficent waved her hand. A familiar image of a girl with black hair appeared on the table. Matthew's eyes widened slightly.

"Sakura!"

"Go to her. Your vessel is waiting." Matthew whipped around when he heard footsteps from behind him.

Approaching the three was a thin man with curly, black, shoulder-length hair that draped over his shoulders, a large, hooked nose, a thin, black mustache that angled upward sharply, and a large chin. He wore a frilly, white shirt underneath a red coat with gold lining and maroon cuffs. Each of these cuffs sported two yellow buttons. He also wore an orange sash over his right shoulder, maroon pants and white, knee-high socks, as well as black shoes with a pink circle decorating each one. He wears a large, maroon hat with a huge, white feather stuck in it. He carried a rapier with a gold handle and guard by his side He had a evil smirk on his face.

"Just remember, this is no pleasure cruise," said the man. "It won't be a pleasant voyage." Matthew turned back to Maleficent.

"Why are you doing all this for me?" he asked with suspicion. "There has to be something you want from me. What's the point of doing all this?" Maleficent turned to face him.

"Point? What's the point?" she repeated. She bent down to his level, placing a hand on Matthew's cheek. "Silly, boy. You've become like a son to me. I only want you to be happy." Matthew knocked her hand away.

"I seriously doubt that."

"Believe what you wish. But lest we forget, I kept my end of the bargain." Matthew's eyes darted back to the person sleeping behind him. He turned back and left the room with narrowed eyes, following after the pirate, with confusion and suspicion sweeping his mind.


	12. Into The Beast

**Chapter Twelve: Into The Beast**

* * *

Alfred and Antonio walked back into the cockpit of the Gummi Ship. Alfred was swinging his keychain in his hand. Antonio was behind him, and he immediately dropped down into his chair.

"Alfred," he said. "Why did you need me to come down with you ?" Alfred shrugged.

"You don't," said the boy. "I just wanted someone to train with. Artie's always flying the ship, so I have no one to do it with me."

"Is that why I heard so many things crashing?" said Arthur from the controls. Alfred stopped swinging his keychain and sat down, sliding it into his pocket. "What did you break?"

"Just a couple of boxes, no big deal." Arthur slammed a hand down on the control panel.

"Bloody hell, Alfred! How do you know that those boxes weren't full of our provisions or something?"

"Well, I made sure that they weren't…" said Antonio. "They were empty crates." Arthur spun his chair to face Antonio. He crossed his arms and gave off a neutral expression. "What?"

"Shut your mouth." Before Arthur could turn around, a shadow danced across the windshield of the ship. Everyone froze for a split second. Arthur whirled back around to the front with wild eyes.

"What was that?" he asked. "Did anybody see it?"

"I don't know, but I do know one thing. It was huge!" remarked Alfred. The thing that cast the shadow from before crossed in front of the ship again, only this time, the trio got a clear look at it.

"It's a giant whale!" Antonio exclaimed as the whale flew back around. Alfred turned to Arthur.

"Arthur, get us out of here!" he ordered.

"Don't you think I'm trying?! Do I look like I want to run into a giant space whale?! While Arthur messed around with the controls, the whale made its way towards them. It opened its huge jaw, revealing it's mouth full of teeth. Arthur looked up at it. "It's too late! He's going to swallow us!"

The whale overtook the ship, swallowing it whole. The Gummi Ship rocked and shook as it went down. Alfred leaned back and hit his head against the ship's controls, losing consciousness.

* * *

 _A young child sat in a small cave. His face was buried in his knees. A small beam of moonlight shone down from an opening in the roof cave. His chest was heaving with silent sobs. Anything that came out of his mouth was silenced by the worn leather of a jacket he held tightly in his hands as if it were his lifeline. The boy was only five years old._

 _A bright beam shot down from the cave's hole._

 _"Alfred?" said a meek voice from the cave's entrance. The tunnel leading from the entryway made it echo._

 _"Go away!" shouted the younger Alfred, peeling his face away from the jacket just to answer. Alfred could hear the sound of barefeet walking across the stone. He didn't even bother to look up. Alfred could hear Matthew walk over to him. Matthew dropped down on the ground beside him. Alfred peeked out from the jacket. Matthew was still wearing his pajamas, the bottoms of his pants dripping with wet sand. Both boys were quiet._

 _"You okay?" Matthew asked for a while. Alfred shook his head._

 _"No!" he said, his voice louder than he wanted it to be. "He's gone!" Alfred sniffed. "He's gone and he's never comin' back!" Matthee hesitated for a moment before reached out towards Alfred. He batted his friend's hand away. "Don't touch me!"_

 _"I was tryin' to-"_

 _"You can't! You can't bring him back!" Matthew looked over at Alfred as he buried his face back in the jacket._

 _"Everyone's looking for you. You ran away." Alfred remained silent. "I wanna help you Al. I wanna know what to do."_

 _"You can't do anything," muttered Alfred. "Your dad isn't…" He dropped in his sentence. Matthew crawled over. He tackled Alfred in a tight squeeze._

 _"I'm sorry…" said Matthew. Alfred curled up against him._

 _"I just want him back."_

 _"I'm here, though," said Matthew. "So is my dad and your mom and…" Alfred nuzzled his head into Matthew's chest._

 _"Don't leave me."_

 _"You're my best friend in the world! I'm not gonna." Alfred looked up at Matthew. He broke away from him, rubbing a balled up hand in his eye._

 _"Promise?" Matthew nodded._

 _"I promise." He extended his pinky finger, holding it out to Alfred. "Let's both make a promise. We'll ever leave each other behind. We'll never forget about each other. We'll be friends until the very end." Alfred stared at Matthew's finger before locking it with his own. He nodded._

 _"We'll be even closer! Like brothers!"_

 _"Yeah," said Matthew with a small smile on his face. "Brothers."_

 _"Alfred?!" cried out a woman. It was the faint call of a mother's worried voice that echoed in the distance._

 _"Matthew?!" called out a man. The cry of a father looking for his son._

 _"Mrs. Jones! Papa!" called out Matthew. "We're in here!"_

 _The memory faded as the younger version of Alfred stood up to meet his mother as she entered the cave._

* * *

 _That was… that's the night… Matthew and I made that promise in our secret hideaway. Wait… that was the cave on the beach! How did I forget… our cave… our pact… our brotherhood?_

* * *

Back in reality, Arthur had his hands firmly placed on Alfred's shoulders.

"Alfred!" he shouted for the tenth time. "Wake up!" Alfred groaned as his eyes opened as his flashback had ended. In front of him were Antonio and Arthur. He shook his head to clear it.

"Alfred," said Antonio as he helped the boy to stand, "Are you okay?" Alfred nodded.

"Yeah… I think so," he answered, looking around. What the trio stood in looked suspiciously like a mouth. "What happened anyway?" Before his question could be answered, something came flying from overhead. Alfred took a step back to narrowly avoid being hit by it.

"Uh…" Antonio muttered, looking around. "I think that big whale swallowed us…"

"Great…" Something landed by Antonio's foot. "And for today's weather: expect showers." Another item of the same kind fell from who knows where and hit Antonio in the back of the head.

"Heavy showers…" said the soldier, rubbing the back of his head. Arthur turned to a high ledge nearby. On it, someone was searching through a chest, throwing things down at the three while doing it. Arthur's eyes narrowed.

"Who's up there?" he called out. Someone looked up from the chest down at the three.

It was a marionette made to look like a little boy whose arms and legs were rectangular blocks of peach-colored wood. His legs also had clear hinges at his knees. He had thick, black hair and eyebrows, and blue eyes. The boy wore a yellow hat with a red feather in it, brown shoes, and white gloves. He wore a tan, short-sleeved shirt under a black vest with gold lining. His shorts were red, and he wore a blue bow on the front of his shirt.

"It's me!" said the boy. He began walking down the ledge and away from them. He was carrying a large block in his hands.

"Hey kid, where are you going?" Alfred called out. The boy kept on walking. "Hey!" Alfred sighed. "Come on, guys. I think we should follow him."

"Why exactly do you think that?" asked Arthur with an eyebrow raised.

"We're in a giant whale. I'm pretty sure there is somebody other than that boy here." Arthur groaned.

"All this agreeing with you is truly painful."

"Duly noted." And on that final note, the three followed after the boy.

* * *

The trio maneuvered their way across various pilings of wood scattered in the giant mouth they were stuck in. Their eyes landed on a large wooden boat. The boy from before was heading over there. Alfred leaned up against a wood pile that hid them from view.

"I have a feeling I know where we are…" he muttered to himself before he and the others walked a little closer to the boat. As they got closer, voices began to dance on their ears.

"What have you got there, Pinocchio?"

"With this, we can get out of here Father."

"Really? With this big block? You think so?"

"It's true," thought Alfred out loud. He covered his mouth for a split second before making the decision to climb on board the ship. Arthur climbed up on his own, while the two pulled Antonio on deck. Before them stood the boy from before and an old man.

"So, how did you end up here, Pinocchio?" Alfred asked the boy. "That's your name, isn't it?"

"Oh, my. So the whale swallowed all of you, too?" said the old man. "My goodness."

"It appears so," Arthur said with a sigh. "I'm Arthur Kirkland. These two are Alfred and Antonio." He gestured to the two other beside him.

"My name is Geppetto. I'm Pinocchio's father. When we got separated, I traveled all over, looking for him. Thank goodness we're together again."

"Family is very important," Antonio noted as Geppetto picked up the block Pinocchio brought up to the deck. Alfred helped him to move it. The two placed the block near a bed as a goldfish swam in its bowl on the bedside table.

"Well, we've all had quite a journey. Right, Pinocchio? Pinocchio?" When there was no answer, Gepetto looked around for the boy, but Pinocchio had disappeared. "I warned him not to wander off here. He can be a naughty boy. Even so, he's very precious to me."

"We'll find him," said Antonio before turning to the others with a innocent smile. "Right?" Alfred nodded.

"Yeah," he said. Arthur ran a hand through his hair.

"Even if I say anything, I'm outvoted," said the wizard. "Let's go into the bowels of the beast." Alfred cringed as the three walked off the boat and into the whale.

"Dude, that sounds gross…"

"That may be, but it's true."

* * *

Luckily, Pinocchio wasn't that far into the whale's oddly colorful insides. God, Alfred was right. Even when you have to read it, it sounds disgusting.

Alfred, Arthur and Antonio stopped walking when they saw the puppet not to far away from them.

"Pinocchio," Alfred called out, causing the boy to face them, "Come on. Let's head back to the boat.

"You know, Geppetto's awfully worried about you," Antonio added. Pinocchio didn't come towards them, over even move at all. Arthur crossed his arms.

"Pinocchio, stop fooling around!" he said sternly. "This is no time for games!" Pinocchio once again didn't listen to them. All three turned and began walking away.

"But I thought you liked games," called out a familiar voice from behind that caused all three to stop. Alfred was the first to turn around. Standing behind them was Matthew. Arthur and Antonio turned around as well.

"Or do you not want to play them now that you have the Keyblade?" Matthew continued.

"Matthew!" said Alfred, slightly excited to see his friend. "What happened to you? What are you doing here?"

"Playing with Pinocchio." Alfred crossed his arms over his chest as he walked a little closer.

"I think you know what I mean. What about Sakura? Did you find her?"

"Possibly." Alfred raised an eyebrow. He took a few steps closer to his brother. He stiffened. Matthew's eyes seemed like they had a layer of ice over is purple irises. There wasn't a single spark of warmth to them. Everything about Matthew had become cold. It was unnatural. "If you catch us, and I tell tell you what I know."

"Matt, are you alright?" Matthew didn't answer. He grabbed Pinocchio's hand and lead him further into the whale. Alfred's eyes narrowed. "We have to go after them. Something's wrong."

Alfred sprinted off down after Matthew and the puppet, with Arthur and Antonio following.

"What do you mean 'something's wrong'?" asked Arthur.

"Matthew. There's something wrong with him."

"Are you sure?" said Antonio.

"You didn't notice what I did."

"Eh, he seemed normal to me." Alfred sighed.

"You aren't as close to him as I am. You don't know him. It was like… something was wrong. He's my brother and my best friend. I can tell something's wrong. He was just so... cold." Antonio and Arthur exchanged a look with each other before following Alfred deeper into the whale.

* * *

Somewhere else in the whale, Matthew had stopped. He put his hands over his heart, with his nails digging into his chest. It was enough to draw a little blood. From behind him, he could hear someone approaching him from behind. Out of the corner of his eye, Matthew could see Maleficent.

"Why do you still care about that boy?" she asked. "He has all but deserted you for the Keyblade and his companions, after all."

"I don't care about him anymore," Matthew lied. "I was… confusing him so he doesn't find out the plan."

"Oh, really? Of course you were." He could feel her smiling. "Beware the darkness in your heart. The Heartless prey upon it." And it was on that note that Maleficent disappeared, leaving Matthew alone.

"I'm in control. I'm in control of myself," he muttered to himself. "I'm fine. I'm in complete control..."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Trinity, otherwise known as Antonio, Arthur, and Alfred, were navigating through the maze-like intestines of the whale. To top off the fact that Alfred- who was leading them truly had no idea where he was going, Heartless had started to appear out of nowhere and attack the three.

Arthur stowed his wand away after another battle with the Heartless before turning to the boy behind him.

"I swear to God, Alfred," said Arthur, rather ticked off, "If you lead us to more Heartless one more time, I will personally-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Alfred cut in before someone had to cover his ears. "But I'm certain this time. They're right down this tunnel." Alfred pointed in the direction of a random exit. "Now, come on." Alfred could hear Arthur sigh loudly before he and Antonio followed him down the tunnel.

* * *

For once, Alfred was right. At the end of the tunnel, they came across Pinocchio, who was running away from Matthew. Matthew had his back to them.

"Matthew!" Alfred shouted, getting the boy's attention. Matthew turned to face them. He still gave off a cold atmosphere, his eyes were still frozen. However, Alfred could still feel Matthew behind them. "What's the matter with you? Are you okay? Don't you realize what you're doing?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Alfred," replied Matthew, crossing his arms over his chest. "You only seem interested in running around and showing off your Keyblade these days. Do you even want to save Sakura?" Alfred raised an eyebrow as he tensed.

"What are you talking about?" asked Alfred, "Save her from what?!" Before Matthew could answer, a scream erupted from the bowels of the whale. Everyone exchanged a look between one another before running in it's direction.

* * *

At the end of the tunnel was a large, circular chamber. Standing in the middle was a large Heartless.

The Heartless's main body was a large, magenta blob with glowing yellow eyes and thin, rounded teeth that resembled prison bars. A much smaller pink head rested on top of the main one. This second head sported a jagged mouth, glowing yellow eyes, two short, dark purple spikes under its mouth, and a curled, magenta antenna on its head. Two long, aquamarine tentacles sprouted from either side of the second head and end in violet "hands" with three fingers, each with a dark purple spike on it. The Heartless emblem was between its eyes. Inside of the Heartless's bar-like mouth was Pinocchio.

The Heartless swung its arms as soon as the four entered, as if it was waiting patiently for them to come nearer in order to strike them.

The Trinity summoned and drew their weapons. Alfred turned when he heard a fourth blade being drawn. Matthew was standing behind him, with his eyes now back to the ones Alfred knew. In his hands was a sword that appeared to be interwoven with branches. The Keyblade Wielder smiled a bit.

"Are you ready?" asked Matthew. Alfred nodded, getting ready to fight.

"No problem," said the boy, "Let's do it!" Alfred ran over to the Heartless and swung at the small head on top. The Heartless began to swing its arms wildly, trying to strike the Keyblade Wielder. Matthew ran behind it to avoid them and struck from behind. Alfred continued to attack the top half.

" _Tonitrua_!" Arthur shouted. A bolt of lightning shot out of the end of his wand, electrocuting the Heartless. In this state, the Heartless lifted an arm and brought it down on Alfred, sending him into the floor.

"Arthur!" yelled Alfred as he stood, "Watch where you're aiming that thing!"

"Not my fault the Heartless hit you!" Alfred rolled his eyes before going in for another attack. He slashed his Keyblade at the cage part of the Heartless, where the young puppet was trapped. Unfortunately, the creature would not open up. Alfred gave on more upward slash. The Heartless began to shake and grabbed onto the ceiling for balance. The Heartless spat Pinocchio into a hidden hole that was below it. Alfred exchanged a look with Matthew, before the boy jumped down after him. Alfred got ready to jump back down as well.

"Alfred," called Arthur. Alfred turned. Arthur was pulling Antonio to his feet. Alfred ran over.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I'm fine," said Antonio, brushing off his clothes. "I just got hit by the Heartless before it escaped." Alfred nodded and turned back to the hole.

"You guys ready to go after it?" Arthur nodded. Antonio hesitated for a second.

"Yes," he answered. The three gathered at the edge of the hole and jumped down.

* * *

Surprisingly, the three landed unscathed on the ship inside of the mouth of the whale.

"Pinocchio! Pinocchio!" The Trinity straightened themselves out and turned into the direction of the voice. It was Geppetto, who had his back towards them. "Please! Give me back my son!" With a curious look, Alfred followed his gaze. He felt his body tense up in disbelief. Standing high on a ledge was Matthew. He held Pinocchio under his arms.

"Sorry old man," said Matthew, "But I have some unfinished business with this puppet."

"He's no puppet! Pinocchio is my little boy!"

"He is unusual. Not many puppets have hearts. I am not sure, but maybe he can help someone who's lost theirs." Alfred raised an eyebrow and took a few steps forward.

"Wait a minute," he said, getting Matthew's attention. "Who are you talking about?" Matthew's eyes narrowed.

"Why would you care? Sakura isn't yours to worry about." Alfred's eyes widened.

"What's wrong with Sakura?" he asked, his voice taking on a different, more panicked tone. "Where is she?!" Matthew didn't answer. he turned and headed down a tunnel behind him.

"We have to get after Matthew, before he hurts himself or someone else," said Arthur.

"But how are we going to get up there?" asked Alfred, pointing over to the high ledge.

"We climb up. On the wood piles."

"Alright." The three jumped into the water and proceeded to make their way up to the ledge, climbing on wood pile after wood pile. When they finally got up there, Alfred took a look down at his hands.

"Arthur," he said, getting the wizard's attention. He raised his hands. "Check out my splinters." Arthur rolled his eyes as he headed down the tunnel with Antonio. Alfred laughed before shaking the wooden scraps from his hands and dashing after them.

* * *

"How long is this going to go on?" asked Antonio after a while. The group had been climbing down ledges to get down to wherever Matthew and Pinocchio were. Arthur shrugged.

"I don't know, does it look like I know the anatomy of a whale?" said Arthur sarcastically. Antonio shook his head.

"I do," said Alfred. Arthur rolled his eyes again.

"Of course you do. Than tell us, where are we heading." Alfred looked around the tunnel.

"Judging by the direction we came in, I would say we're in the…" Alfred sentence was cut off by Arthur slipping on something. Antonio and Alfred watched Arthur take a fall down to the bottom of the tunnel. "The throat." Alfred laughed a little bit before turning to Antonio. "You first. This seems quicker."

"We'll do it together, alright?" Alfred nodded. He grabbed Antonio by the hand and jumped with him down into where the throat lead to. The stomach. The three headed down the rest of the tunnel and into what was the stomach. It was purple as well, with a moat of green acid surrounding a good deal of it. Ledges lined the walls. Across from them was Matthew, who had his back to them. Pinocchio was in front of him, propped up against a wall and unmoving.

"Hey," called out Alfred. Matthew stood and turned to face the Trinity. There wasn't much life to his eyes, only a single spark. "Let Pinocchio go, Matthew."

"A puppet that has lost its heart to the Heartless... Maybe it holds the key to helping Sakura," said Matthew, ignoring Alfred's request. "What do you say about it, Al? Let's join forces to save her. We can do it, together." He took a few steps towards the three. Before he could get any closer, Alfred summoned his Keyblade. Matthew stopped as Alfred narrowed his eyes. "You'd rather fight me? Over a puppet that has no heart?"

"Heart or no heart, at least he still has a conscience."

"Conscience?" Using this as a distraction, Antonio ran over to where Pinocchio was. Alfred pointed his Keyblade at the boy.

"You might not hear it, but right now it's loud and clear. And it's telling me you're on the wrong side!" It was by now that Antonio had reached the puppet and was trying to wake him up.

"I'm not gonna make it," Pinocchio said weakly. That's when a small light glittered off of the boy. When it faded, it had revealed the Pinocchio's nose grew. He was lying. "Oh! I guess I'm okay!" Antonio laughed happily. After this scene, Alfred exchanged a look with Arthur before looking back over at Matthew. The boy stood there for a second. Suddenly, the Heartless from before fell from a hole in the ceiling. The was a flash of purple from behind it. Pinocchio runs out of the stomach, with Antonio joining beside the others. Arthur and Antonio drew their weapons, ready to take on the Heartless.

The Heartless picked itself up off the floor and swung around, trying to hit the three. said targets dropped onto the floor.

"What are we going to do?" said Alfred ducking underneath the Heartless's attack.

"I can strike it with my magic," said Arthur, "It will only be for a second though." Alfred nodded. Arthur raised his wand.

" _Tonitrua_!" Arthur shouted. The lightning from his wand's tip shot at the Heartless once again, causing it to cease it's swinging and fall back onto the floor. Alfred shot up and started to strike it's body with his Keyblade.

The Heartless began swinging its spiked arms at the soldier and wizard in front of it. Antonio raised his shield and hit the arm, causing the Heartless to reel back. The top head fell backwards, causing the cage to open. It laid there, unconscious. Alfred raised his Keyblade and continued to do damage to it. Before the boy could deal the final blow, The Heartless straightened up. It began swinging its arms again. Arthur rolled out of the way of one of them, the arm only centimeters away from hitting him.

"We have to take it out, now," stated the former pirate in a firm tone. Before either one of the three could make a move, the Heartless placed its arms into the stomach acid, sucking it up through its appendages, and blowing it out through its mouth. The acid shot directly at Alfred and Antonio. While it barely grazed by Alfred, it hit Antonio with full force. Antonio hit the back of the wall and fell onto the floor. His shield fell beside him, turning back into a keychain. He was still living because of it.

"Antonio!" shouted Alfred. He turned back to the Heartless. It was swinging its arms madly. Alfred looked over at Arthur. They both ran at the Heartless, raising their weapons in unison. Alfred brought down a strike on the creature. Arthur shot fire to add force to Alfred's attack. The Heartless flew backwards. A glowing heart came out of its cage-like mouth and floated away. Unlike most of the Heartless, this one fell over into the pools of acid, splashing it everywhere.

Alfred looked around the stomach, trying to find where Matthew was. He hadn't seen him at all during the battle.

"Matthew!" he called out. "Matthew, where are you?!"

"Alfred, we have to leave. Now," said Arthur. Alfred turned back to see the Wizard holding the unconscious soldier. "Do you want to be digested?" Alfred took one last sweep of the stomach before running to Arthur. He swiped up Antonio's shield off of the floor. The three - more like two since Antonio was still out cold- ran out of the stomach and back towards the mouth. They took no time in running back to their ship- which was back where they had first landed in the mouth. The trio got into the ship. Before they could even take off, the whale- disrupted by all this agitation, sneezed. The ship was lurched back into the vastness of space.

* * *

Alfred stared out the window after Arthur had managed to get the ship back under control. He glanced back over at the wizard, who was tending to Antonio. He was still passed out cold.

"How long until you think he wakes up?" Alfred asked, placing his head in the palm of his hand.

"I don't know," said Arthur. "I never encountered this before. My magic did what it could. Either way, we can't head off to another world until Antonio wakes." Alfred turned back to the window.

"I sure hope Pinocchio and Geppetto are okay."

"Hopefully they landed somewhere safely…" Alfred nodded and sighed. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing it's just…" Alfred straightened up. "Back in the stomach, and several other times in that whale… when we ran into Matthew…"

"Yes, you said there was something wrong with him." Alfred nodded.

"Yeah. I know Matthew. And that wasn't him. I mean, it was him but it wasn't." Arthur blinked.

"You're not making a lick of sense." Alfred sighed.

"I'm just worried. What if he's gone all… you know…" Alfred made the gesture of a small explosion. Arthur shrugged.

"I don't know. I highly doubt that it's normal for someone's eyes to go lifeless like you said they were. The only thing I can think of is some sort of possession, but demonic possession is near impossible without the vessel's consent. So it couldn't be a demon." Arthur narrowed his eyes at Alfred. "So don't even think about raiding the salt supply." Alfred nodded, staring off out into the vast space before them.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another ship floating about the cosmic universe, Matthew Williams stood in the captain's hold. Behind him was a witch, in front of him was his former ally. He was trying to keep himself calm. The last thing he clearly remembered was fighting a Heartless alongside Alfred. Everything else seemed to sort of blur together. He could barely even remember what had happened. And now, Matthew was sitting here with Maleficent. The evil fairy had just delivered some very disturbing news to him.

"So, Sakura's like a lifeless puppet now?" he asked.

"Precisely," replied Maleficent. Matthew stared at Sakura's body laying on the sofa before him.

"And her heart was…"

"Taken by the Heartless, no doubt." Matthew turned to face the witch.

"What can I do to help her?" he asked, the words falling out of his mouth quicker than he could think of what to do.

"There are seven maidens of the purest heart. We call them the princesses of heart," Maleficent explained. "Gather them together, and a door will open to the heart of all worlds. Within lies untold wisdom. There, you will surely find a way to recover her heart. Now, I'll grant you a marvelous gift." She leaned in closer to him. Matthew felt a chill run up his spine. "The power to control the Heartless."

"Wh-What?" Matthew stuttered. "Maleficent, I-" Before Matthew could protest further, Maleficent raised her arms. Green energy surrounded the boy. Matthew winced at the pain enveloping him. He looked back at the unconscious girl laying behind him. Matthew propped himself up on the sofa, pain stabbing at his chest.

"Soon... we'll be get back home..." he muttered quietly. "Soon…"


	13. Hotter Under The Water

**Chapter Thirteen: Hotter Under The Water**

* * *

It took nearly twenty-four hours for Antonio to reawaken. As soon as he did, Alfred had to catch him since Antonio couldn't quite stand yet. Arthur started the ship and went to find a new world.

"You okay, dude?" Alfred asked when Antonio managed to get back to his chair. Antonio nodded.

"I'm fine," he said. "I smell a little like acid, though." Alfred laughed.

"Makes sense. You were almost doused with it." Antonio stuck out his tongue a little, causing Alfred to laugh again.

"If you're feeling up to it, Antonio, I've found a new world," interrupted Arthur. Alfred helped Antonio to stand and get his balance as they walked over to the window. It was a rock, and inside was water. A lot of water. Alfred snickered.

"Looks like your getting those swimming lessons." Arthur shot Alfred a look.

"Fine." Arthur flicked a switch. "Prepare for landing."

"Land where? In the water?" asked Antonio. "We'll drown!"

"Not with my magic, we won't. Just leave it to me." The ship made its descent into the watery world. Before the group left the ship, Arthur drew his wand and raised it. There was a flash of bright light and the three we gone.

* * *

The next thing Alfred saw was bubbles. Bubbles in his face. Once they cleared, Alfred could surprisingly clearly see a coral encrusted cavern. That was the first thing he registered. The second thing was the the feeling he had in his legs.

"Uh… Arthur?" he asked. "Why do my legs feel weird…?

"Probably because of the spell I performed," answered Arthur from behind him. "Don't you dare freak out." Alfred raised an eyebrow. He look down at his legs. Or where they were supposed to be. He screamed.

In the place of his legs was a bright blue dolphin's tail. Alfred flicked and tried to move his legs, only to have the tail move in unison.

"Arthur what did you do?!" Alfred turned around to see the other two behind him. All of them were shirtless, but the men possessed mermaid tails instead of a dolphin one like Alfred had. Arthur's was a dark green, while Antonio's was a bright red. Antonio shield was strapped to his back, while Arthur's wand was nestled comfortably in a gauntlet on his wrist.

"I cast a spell so we would be able to blend in with the people from this world," Arthur answered, sliding his hands behind his back.

"Where are we? A world full of fish?"

"More or less." Alfred raised an eyebrow. He walked… er… swam over to where Antonio and Arthur were.

"What is it, Alfred?" asked Antonio curiously.

"Arthur, why are you holding your hands behind your back…?" the boy asked. Arthur's eyes widened slightly.

"What are you talking about? I always hold myself like this."

"Uh huh…" Alfred exchanged a look with Antonio. "What are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything!" Alfred rolled his eyes. He swam around to behind Arthur. "What are you doing?!" Arthur turned quickly.

"I wanna see."

"I'm not hiding anything!"

"Why are your hands behind your back like that?" asked Antonio. Arthur paled. Alfred swam over and grabbed his arms.

"Alfred, let me go." Alfred shook his head.

"You move your arms. You know very well you can't escape since you can't swim. How you're still upright is confusing to me."

"Fine. Let me go, first." Alfred let go of his arms and back away. With a sigh, Arthur held up his arms. "Happy now?" Alfred grinned.

"Very." Alfred swam around to Arthur before the Brit could put his hands behind his back again. He grabbed both of his wrists to hold them. Taking a look at the man's back, Alfred let out a laugh. "Oh my god, dude!"

"What?" asked Antonio.

"Alfred!" Arthur shouted. "Don't you dare!"

"Come take a look," said the boy, motioning Antonio over. With a curious hum, Antonio swam over to join him as Arthur tried to pull free. However, this didn't work. Both of them had seen what Arthur was trying to hide. Right on the lower left-hand side of his back.

"You have a tattoo?!" Arthur finally managed to pull free from Alfred and spun around to face the other two. Alfred was head over heels laughing.

"Dude, I can't believe you have that!" he laughed. "You! Like a-"

"Alfred, if you even think about finishing that sentence," Arthur said with a cold look. "And yes. I do."

"Why do you still have it?" Antonio asked. Arthur shrugged.

"I don't know. I never thought about getting it removed, that's why. Not to mention I don't know how. I have it for personal reasons." Antonio nodded. Before the conversation could continue, the three were interrupted by the sound of voices.

"Come on, Sebastian!" said the voice of a young woman.

"Ariel, wait! Slow down! Don't leave me behind!" cried out another voice with a Jamaican accent. The three turned just as the owners of the voices entered the cavern.

The first was a young mermaid. She had a green tail with paler green, translucent fins and wears a bikini top made out of purple sea shells. She had bright blue eyes. Her most defining feature was her long, bright red hair.

The second was a small fish. He was a round, yellow fish with sky blue stripes along his top side. His pectoral, dorsal, and tail fins have alternating sky blue and dark sky blue stripes. The third was a red crab.

Unfortunately, the crab had gotten too close to the three, almost smacking into Arthur's face, which was upside down due to him losing his balance. He screamed and swam back to the young mermaid. With a raised eyebrow, Alfred swam up to them.

"Relax, Sebastian. They don't look like one of them," she said to calm the crab down. "Right, Flounder?" The mermaid looked down at the fish, who was hiding behind her. Flounder peaked out from behind her.

"I don't know," he said. "There's something weird about them." Alfred laughed nervously, running a hand through the back of his hair.

"What do you mean?" he asked nervously. The mermaid swam up and around him.

"They do seem... a little different," she noted. "Where are you from?"

"We're from far away," Arthur lied nervously, trying to regain his balance. "And we're not really used to these waters." Alfred snickered.

"You aren't. You can't sw-" Arthur slapped a hand over the younger's mouth before the sentence could be completed. Arthur laughed nervously again.

"I… have some trouble with swimming…"

"Oh, I see. In that case…" the mermaid said with a smile. "Sebastian can show you how we swim around here."

"Ariel, King Triton will not like this!" exclaimed the crab, Sebastian. The mermaid, Ariel, rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't worry."

"Easy for you to say... Okay, it's time you learn how to swim properly."

* * *

Alfred and Antonio watched as Arthur swam back and forth in front of them, chasing around the small, yellow fish.

"He sure got the hang of that quickly…" Alfred muttered. Antonio nodded.

"Do you think he could swim this entire time and he didn't tell us?" Antonio said. Alfred shrugged.

"Well, he did almost drown…" he said in a lowered tone. After a while longer, Sebastian pulled the three together.

"Good job. Now let's move onto self-defense," said the crab.

"Sebastian!" Ariel cried out. He looked over to Ariel, who is pointing to the Heartless swimming towards them from the tunnel entrance of the cavern.

These Heartless strangely reminded Alfred of jellyfish. While they had a number of small bluish-green tentacles dangling beneath them, they also had two massive pale blue ones in the front. Within their light grayish-blue transparent heads and hidden behind the prominent Heartless emblem, there were their sinister Heartless visages, complete with a crooked, toothy smile, bright yellow eyes, and a medium-length plume that ended in a spiral.

Sebastian started swimming furiously as Ariel swam into a side cave.

"Class is over. Good luck!" With a click, Sebastian closed himself and Flounder in a clamshell. Alfred, Arthur, and Antonio exchanged looks with each other. Alfred grabbed his keychain from around his wrist. As soon as he touched it, his Keyblade appeared in his hand.

"I'm not questioning it," said Alfred as they others drew their weapons.

* * *

The three struck down the Heartless with ease. It took Alfred a while for him to realize that his Keyblade reverted back to a keychain as soon as it touched his wrist.

Luckily, no one saw Alfred's Keyblade. Ariel had swam back out of her hiding spot a few seconds after Alfred's keychain returned to normal. Alfred swam over to the clamshell Flounder and Sebastian had gotten themselves trapped in. He eased his fingers under the top shell and pried it open, allowing the two to escape.

"Are you alright?" asked Antonio. Ariel nodded.

"Those creatures chased us here," she explained.

"Oh, no!" Sebastian exclaimed suddenly, "Those monsters might be heading for the palace, too!"

"We'd better head back right away!"

"But, wh-what if we run into more on our way back?" Flounder stuttered. Ariel looked over at the trio.

"What is it?" asked Arthur both curiously and suspiciously.

"I'm sorry, but we need your help," Ariel said. "Please come to the palace with us."

"Eh, but we really don't know this place-" said Antonio. "I mean waters."

"The trident markers on the walls point the way there. We won't get lost as long as we follow them." Antonio nodded.

"Yes. I'll come with you." Alfred shrugged.

"Eh, why not?" said the boy. "Sounds like fun." Arthur sighed.

"Once again, I am outvoted," said Arthur. "I guess we're going." Ariel smiled and nodded.

"Okay, let's get going," said the little mermaid. The trio nodded before swimming after the sea dwellers to wherever they were going.

* * *

After swimming with Ariel for a while, the trio finally made it at the exit of the cave. There was a collective gasp as they viewed the sight in front of them.

Before them stood a city with a green and yellow castle, that seemed to glow in the water, stood above it. And it was here that Ariel led them.

When they reached the castle, the group stood under a large archway. Inside of it were huge, dark blue-green pillars that circled around, making a hall of sorts. At the end of the hall was a large throne.

Alfred froze when he heard the swish of water from behind them. He turned to see several Heartless pursuing the group. He raised a hand, ready to summon his Keyblade when a bolt of electric-like energy stuck down the Heartless. Alfred hummed in confusion.

"Arthur, please tell me that was you…" he said.

"It wasn't," Arthur replied.

"That was too close," said a voice from behind. The trio turned. Behind them was a man.

He was an old, large merman with bushy, light grey eyebrows and long, white hair. He had a thick, white beard and mustache. He wore gold gauntlets with several studs on them on each of his wrists. The man's lower body was that of a dark blue fish with cyan, translucent fins. He wore a yellow, five-pointed crown that somewhat resembled a sea star on his head, and held a trident- golden, three-pronged weapon- in his hands. He also has blue eyes.

"As long as I have my trident, I will not tolerate those creatures inside this palace," the man continued. Ariel smiled.

"Daddy!" she called out before swimming up to him with a smile. The trio exchanged a look with each other before swimming up alongside her.

"Oh, Ariel! When will you listen? It's dangerous out there!" Ariel's smile fell as she took on a guilty look. "Strange creatures lurk outside." As he said this, the man's eyes narrowed upon gazing at Alfred, Arthur and Antonio. Antonio laughed nervously. He only stopped when Sebastian cleared his throat.

"Behold. You swim before the ruler of the seas," said the crab as he gestured to the merman. "His Majesty, King Triton."

"And who are they?" asked the King.

"They helped us fight off those creatures," Ariel answered, sounding a little more hopeful.

"They don't look familiar…"

"We're all from different oceans very far away. We're actually just travelling around," Alfred cut in. "I'm Alfred. The one with the eyebrows is Arthur, and the one with the shield is Antonio." Antonio began swimming around the other two.

"Yes," he said in agreement. "We came to find the Keyhole."

"The what?" said Triton, not sounding very pleased.

"What's that?" Ariel asked with a great curiosity. Antonio smiled.

"Well, it's a—" he started to say before he was cut off.

"There's no such thing! Certainly not here!" Trition snapped suddenly. All three foreigners jumped a little.

"But, Daddy…"said Ariel.

"Ariel, not another word! You are not to leave the palace. Is that clear?" Ariel narrowed her eyes. She swam away from her father.

"Should we go after her?" whispered Antonio.

"For once, I agree with you on something," said Arthur. The three swam after Ariel.

* * *

It didn't take long for the Trinity to catch up with the princess. She was at the entrance to Atlantica's main city.

"Hey, are you alright Ariel?" asked Antonio.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said the little mermaid. "I'm sorry about the way my father acted. He can be such a…" Ariel sighed.

"I understand what your going through," said Arthur swimming up to her. "But you have to realize that your father is only trying to protect you."

"I know." Ariel suddenly perked up, as if an idea floated into her mind. "Come to my grotto. I want to show you something." The trio exchanged a look with each other. The nodded in a silent agreement.

"Alright," said Alfred. "Lead the way!" Ariel nodded. She swam over to a nearby boulder and pushed it open. It showed a hole in the cliff in which it was stuck in.

"There it is. See?" she said, pointing down the hole. She swam into it, with the three following her.

"Whoa…" Alfred breathed out once he saw Ariel's grotto. There were ledges in the cave that acted as shelves of sorts. Lining the shelves were things from the surface. At the top was a hole that let in light.

"Look at all the wonderful things Flounder and I've collected," Ariel said excitedly. "I think it's all from the outside world."

"This is very beautiful, Ariel," complemented Antonio as Alfred began looking around. He raised an eyebrow at the trident-shaped impression in the rock.

"Someday, I'm going to see what's out there. I want to see other worlds. Does that sound strange?" Arthur shook his head.

"No. Not at all. I used to feel the same way," said the wizard.

"Used to?" Arthur bit on his tongue, unknowingly finding out he had said that out loud.

"I went out and did it," he said quickly.

"What?" said the boy, turning away from the impression and swimming over to the other three.

"I did a bit of travelling when I started training with magic. It's how I know so much about places."

"Okay…?" There was a moment of silence between everyone before it was broken by a simple question.

"Hey, why don't we try looking for that Keyhole you were talking about?" Ariel suggested. Antonio raised an eyebrow.

"But your father said—" Antonio said with a curious look.

"Oh, he treats me like a little girl. He never wants to let me do anything. He just... He just doesn't understand."

"Well, I say we go for it!" said Alfred, his tone encouraging and excited. "The sooner we find the Keyhole, the sooner we can-" Arthur covered Alfred's mouth.

"The sooner we can get on in our travels," Arthur finished. "Anyway, let's try and find the Keyhole." The four left the grotto, and swam out to find the Keyhole.

* * *

Alfred, Arthur, Antonio and Ariel swam around the waters for a while, trying their best to look for the Keyhole. The quicker they could find it, the quicker the Heartless would leave this world. However, they couldn't find anything relating to the Keyhole.

Alfred sighed, sliding down against an underwater cliff until he hit the sand. He rubbed his hands over his face.

"We've been looking for hours," he complained. "We have found nothing."

"Quit your whining," said Arthur as he swam up to him. "The Keyhole has to be here somewhere." The two ended straightening up when something swam quickly by them. Even Ariel and Antonio, who were approaching them, turned their heads at whatever it was. Alfred sat up in time to see the thing swimming past was a dolphin. As if on instinct, Alfred swam quickly after it and into a cave.

"Alfred!" shouted Arthur.

"Where do you think he's going?" asked Antonio curiously. Arthur shrugged. In a silent agreement, the remaining three swam after him.

* * *

The three swam into the depths of the cave, searching for where Alfred had swam off to.

"Why do you think he swam off like that?" asked Antonio. Arthur shrugged.

"How should I know?" said the Brit. "He has a dolphin tail. Why, I don't know."

"Arthur! Antonio!" shouted Ariel, getting the attention of the two. Swimming towards them were several, underwater soldier-like Heartless.

Arthur pulled out his wand and pointed at the Heartless.

"Incendio!" he shouted. Instead of fire shooting out from the tip, jets of boiling hot water hit the Heartless. Nevertheless, it worked perfectly. As soon as the water jets stuck the Heartless, they faded into darkness. Arthur sighed as he slid his wand away. It instantly turned back into its keychain form and locked around his wrist.

"Hey, guys!" The group turned to see the one person they were looking for swimming towards them, the dolphin at his side.

"ALFRED! What were you think you were doing?!" The dolphin swam up to Alfred. Alfred placed a hand on its head.

"The guy was scared. Didn't you hear him? I couldn't help it."

"You couldn't help it?!"

"You understood what he was saying?" Antonio asked, swimming a little closer. Alfred nodded.

"Yeah."

"You can't be serious," said Arthur, crossing his arms over his chest. Alfred laughed.

"I can too! It's not that different from the way whales speak."

"You can't speak whale!" Alfred stuck out his tongue at his former caretaker.

"Anyway, the guy was scared 'cause of the Heartless I told him that I could get rid of the Heartless," he continued.

"I think Arthur already did that…" Ariel muttered out loud. "But at least we can continue looking for the Keyhole!" The dolphin made a series of clicking noises. Alfred raised an eyebrow, rubbing the dolphin's head.

"Hey, this guy wants to help…" he said. "He said he can give us a ride over to where he saw something strange. A sunken ship I think…"

"YOU CAN'T SPEAK DOLPHIN!" snapped Arthur, going ignored.

"I know what your talking about!" exclaimed Ariel. "It's not that far. Follow me!" The little mermaid swam down to one end of the area, swimming into a nearby tunnel. The trio followed after her, hoping to find the Keyhole and seal it.

* * *

The three followed Ariel to where a large shipwreck was sitting in the sand.

"How long has this been here?" Alfred asked curiously. Antonio shrugged, running his fingers along the molding wood of the ship.

"I wish I knew," responded Ariel. She motioned them closer as she swam inside the ship. Alfred and Arthur swam after her. Antonio was ready to follow, but something swam overhead, casting a large shadow. The soldier whipped around, looking for whatever it was. The last time this had happened, the trio ended up being swallowed by a whale.

"Antonio!" called out Arthur. Antonio turned back towards the ship.

"Uh… Coming!" he shouted back before swimming quickly after them.

"What do you think is in here?" asked Alfred, looking around the rotting room. Ariel shrugged.

"I find all kinds of interesting stuff in here," she explained, looking around as well. Antonio swam over to a chest pushed up against the wall. He pulled on it, trying to open it.

"Alfred," he said. "Come give me a hand." Alfred looked over with a curious look in his eye. He swam over to the soldier. The two dug their fingers under the lid and pulled. With Alfred's strength, the lid popped open. Alfred's eyes glittered as to what was inside.

"Guys, come check this out," he said. Exchanging a look, Ariel and Arthur swam over to them.

"What did you find?" Arthur asked suspiciously. Alfred reached into the chest and pulled out the object inside. He held it up to show everyone. It was a large crystal that glimmered in the water. It was shaped like the top of a trident.

"Hm. Its shape reminds me of something…" Ariel muttered out loud. Alfred handed it off to Arthur in order to snap his fingers. He had realized what the shape matched up with.

"Ariel," he said. "In your grotto. I found this hole in the rock. It fits the trident."

"That's amazing! C'mon, let's get it back there!" Antonio, Alfred , Arthur swam out of the ship, with Alfred clutching the crystal to his chest.

Antonio felt chills run up his spine as they swam out of the ship. He didn't know why, but he felt like something bad was about to happen. And he was right.

Just before the three were about to leave the area in which the ship was located when a large shadow passed over them. The boys froze. It was a split second before they turned. Swimming towards them was a rather large shark. And it didn't look happy.

Alfred tossed the crystal to Ariel, who caught it with ease. He moved back, allowing Antonio and Arthur to swim through the exit. The shark swam forward. Alfred slapped out his Keyblade.

"One, two three…" he said under his breath before swinging the Keyblade at the shark like a baseball bat. "You're out!" With the force of the hit, the shark was stunned for a few seconds. It was just enough time for Alfred to swim into the exit. No one said anything as the four quickly swam out and back towards the grotto.

* * *

When they arrived back at the grotto, Alfred pulled the rock aside, allowing everyone else in. He swam in after them. However, he forgot to seal the entrance. He waved it off, thinking he would be able to seal it later.

Alfred swam up and joined the others. He could see Ariel grinning brightly. The little mermaid slid the crystal into its place in the rock.

"See?" said Alfred. "I told you it would fit."

"Ariel, you've disobeyed me again!" shouted a voice from behind. All four turned and subsequently paled. Behind them was King Triton. And he did not look pleased.

"I told you not to leave the palace!" snapped the king. No one said a words as he filled with anger. He raised his trident, which started to glow. It was aimed at the crystal.

"Daddy, no!" Ariel cried out. But it was too late. A bolt of lightning fired from the trident's tips and hit the crystal, shattering it into a millions pieces. Tears brimmed in Ariel's eyes. "How could you…" She turned and swam away from the others. Alfred went to swim after her, but was stopped by the mer-king. He swam back a little, floating alongside his friends.

"Young man, you're not from another ocean," said Triton. "You're from another world. Aren't you?" Alfred's eyes widened.

"Say what?" he asked, confused.

"Then you must be the key bearer." Antonio sighed and looked down at his tail.

"He is," he admitted sadly.

"How did you know?" asked Arthur. "It doesn't seem to be obvious that we are."

"You may fool Ariel, but you can't fool me," said the sea king. "You don't know your dorsal fin from your tail." Alfred groaned in the back of his throat. "As the key bearer, you must already know... One must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds."

"Of course he knows that, we all do, but…"

"You have violated this principle. The key bearer shatters peace and brings ruin." Antonio's eyes widened.

"Hey, we're not like that!" he cried out, but his plea was ignored.

"I thank you for saving my daughter. But there is no room in my ocean for you or your key." Triton left the grotto without another word. Alfred looked down at the keychain around his wrist.

"Is the Keyblade really that bad?" he asked.

"No, it isn't," said Arthur. "The Keyblade is a force for good. Which is something King Triton just doesn't understand." Alfred sighed.

"I'm having a hard time believing that."

"What are we going to do?" asked Antonio. "We need to find the Keyhole!"

"Antonio's right," said Arthur. "No matter what Triton says, we have to search for the Keyhole. Otherwise this world will be sucked into darkness." Alfred nodded.

"I hate to say it, but you're right dude," said the Keyblade Wielder. "Let's go."

* * *

The Trinity swam out of the grotto. They weren't too far from Atlantica when Alfred's eyes caught something large and black moving towards the palace. Alfred stopped. raising an eyebrow. Arthur and Antonio stopped when they saw him.

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"I thought I saw something heading towards the palace," Alfred explained. "Something large and black. Like a Heartless…"

"Should we go after it?" Antonio asked. Arthur nodded.

"While King Triton isn't the best of people, I do admit that we should stop the Heartless," said the wizard. The Trinity turned around and swam in the direction of the palace.

* * *

They swam into the hall, but what the three came to was a great surprise. It wasn't a Heartless in the palace.

It was an overweight half-octopus woman with lavender skin. The top side of her octopus half is pitch black and reaches up over her chest, resembling a shoulder less, backless gown. The underside is a bright violet color, while her short hair is stark white with a few grey streaks that stands on end. She also wears a yellow spiral shell necklace on a thin black cord. Whoever she was, she was holding the Trident in her hands. King Triton was almost unconscious, with Ariel by his side.

The woman looked behind her as Alfred, Arthur, and Antonio froze in place.

"Why, we have company. I'm afraid you're a little late, handsome!" she laughed. She raised the trident before vanishing into a burst of ink. The Trinity cleared their way through the cloud before facing the mer-king. He looked weak, which gave Ariel a worried expression. The king didn't even seem mad that the Trinity had returned.

"The trident…" he said weakly. "We must get it back."

"We'll get it," said Alfred. "We may not be from this world, but that doesn't mean we won't defend it."

"Let's go," ordered Arthur. The three turned to swim out, but a hand on Antonio's shoulder stopped them. They turned back to see it was Ariel.

"Wait, I'm going with you!" said the little mermaid. "My father is hurt and it's all my fault. I have to stop that witch! We have to stop Ursula!" Alfred nodded.

"That's right. I'm right behind you, Ariel," said Sebastian, whom had been sitting on the throne. He swam up to the Trinity and princess.

"Ursula draws power from her cauldron," Triton told the five before they left. "To defeat Ursula, you must strike her cauldron with magic." Arthur nodded.

"Thank you." They all swam out and after Ursula.

* * *

The Trinity, mermaid, and crab swam after the Sea Witch. Her trail lead them back to where the Sunken Ship was. Luckily, the shark was gone. After looking around for a bit, Alfred came across as sunken lifeboat nearby. He swam over to it, finding something embedded in the wall behind it. It was the marking of a sea monster. Alfred reached down to get it, but he was unable to reach it.

"Hey, guys!" he called out. "Over here!" Out of curiousity, Arthur, Antonio, Ariel and Sebastian swam over to him. They stared out at the marking.

"What is that thing?" Antonio asked.

"I think I can help," said Sebastian. Sebastian swam between the lifeboat and the wall. He pushed the small rock in the wall, causing the large leviathan rock to sink into the ocean floor.

"Secret entrance. Who would have thought?" said Arthur sarcastically as they swam inside.

* * *

The passage lead towards a darker part of the ocean, which sent chills up everyone's spine. At the end of the passage, there was a weird structure. It appeared to be built up of the bones of various creatures.

"Is this the place?" Antonio muttered.

"Yes. That's Ursula's lair," Ariel explained. "We have to go in there if we want to get the trident back…" There was a silent agreement as they swam towards t.

They swam into the cave. Hanging on the wall was a large shell. When they entered, Ursula crawled out of it with a deep scowl on her face.

"Come out! You can't run!" Arthur shouted, drawing his wand out.

"Your time has come!" Sebastian added. The sea witch swam towards them as she gave off a frightening look. This scared both Sebastian and Antonio, making them jump. She tossed a potion into her cauldron, which started to glow. Two eels swam by Ursula's side, aiming for Antonio and Ariel. Antonio pulled out his shield as he helped to protect the princess. He was the guardian, after all. Alfred summoned his Keyblade as he and Arthur swam around the other side, beginning to strike the cauldron like they were instructed.

After long last, Antonio and Ariel were able to knock Flotsam and Jetsam unconscious.

"Tonitrua!" Arthur shouted. Lightning struck the cauldron. The contents inside exploded, sending magical bursts spilling out in all directions. Ursula was knocked out temporarily by this, allowing Alfred to attack with his Keyblade. He couldn't even land a hit before she regained consciousness.

"Oh, come on!" the boy shouted, backing off. Ursula used her magic to heal her eels. She began to cackle, spinning wildly through the water. The four were pushed back-to-back. Arthur raised his wand.

"Protego." A transparent blue shield was circled around the four as Ursula's whirling tentacles smacked it repeatedly.

"Arthur, I'm gonna try something," Alfred whispered. "Cover me." Arthur looked over at him.

"What are you going to do?" he asked nervously.

"Just trust me." Alfred's grip on his Keyblade tightened. "Drop the shield in three.. two… one…" Arthur dropped his keyblade, allowing the shield to fall. Alfred darted upwards.

"Hey, sea witch!" he shouted. "Over here!" Ursula turned to the boy. Alfred stuck his tongue out at her. "Come and get me!" Ursula went after the Keyblade Wielder. Alfred swam around, avoiding her attacks.

"What is he doing?" Antonio asked, staring at Alfred. That's when it clicked.

"He's distracting her," Arthur muttered. "I'll attack the cauldron. You two go help Alfred." Ariel nodded.

"Alright," she said. Ariel and Antonio joined Alfred in his evasion. Arthur snuck over, beginning to attack the cauldron with magic.

Arthur cast one final spell on the cauldron, causing it's contents to explode once more. This caught Ursula's attention.

"No... Impossible!" she shouted. She tried to cast a spell at the wizard, but without her source of power her attack failed. It struck her eels, turning them into bits and pieces. The Sea Witch swam away from the four in her fury. "You'll pay for this!" Ariel, Alfred, Antonio and Arthur regrouped at the destroyed cauldron.

"Let's go," said Ariel, "We must get the trident back."

"But how?" asked Alfred, "I saw where she went. The currents are too strong for us to swim in."

"I can teach you. Come on!"

* * *

The three followed the little mermaid the best they could through the current, only falling behind once or twice. The currents ended in the open ocean, where Ursula sat waiting for them. She had the trident in her hands.

"You pathetic fools!" she yelled. "I rule the seas now!" She brandished the trident and spun upwards. A wave of ink and darkness emanated from below as she began growing to an immense size. A crown appeared on her head and she towered over them. Alfred felt fear and adrenaline coursing through his veins as he tightened his grip on his Keyblade.

"The sea and all its spoils bow to my power!" With a gasp, the four swam upwards to avoid Ursula's crushing tentacles. She stared down at them with crazed eyes.

"Hey, you. Not so fast! Get ready for this!" She spat out disorienting bubbles at them, which stopped them for a second, but the four swam straight at her and began their attack.

Suddenly, the current changed. Alfred felt himself being swept upward towards her mouth.

"Not today," he shouted as he swam backwards. He caught Arthur and Ariel attacking her from behind. Alfred gave one last kick as the seawitch bit down.

"Hmph... Slippery little morsel." Lightning began to strike around them as a defense mechanism. The Trinity and the princess darted forward, beginning to attack Ursula directly.

"You dare to strike me!" The sea witch summoned an energy beam which she aimed at Alfred. Alfred swam around the witch to dodge it, but she continued circling, unwilling to let him escape. She stopped to catch her breath after the intense beam leaves her defenseless.

"Now!" shouted Arthur. Arthur and Ariel continued attacking her head while Antonio went for her hand, which was still clutching the trident. It wasn't long before Ursula gathered strength again and lifted the trident high.

"This won't be pretty!" she hissed. Several lightning bolts attacked the water around the four heroes, almost knocking them all out. Ursula, at her wit's end, began inhaling water, dragging Alfred towards her. And idea entered the boy's brain.

Instead of swimming away life before, he used this to propel himself toward her.

"Your reign his over!" he yelled as he raised his Keyblade. He brought it down right on her throat. Ursula tried to scream, holding her hands to her throat as the water around her crackled with energy. Arthur and Ariel grabbed Alfred as they swam out of reach out the witch. Ursula began flailing before disappearing in a flurry of darkness, leaving only the trident floating in a beam of light. Ariel took the trident in her hands.

"Mission accomplished!" Alfred cheered.

"Let's get this back to the palace," said Antonio as all four swam off.

* * *

They quickly returned to the throne room and spoke to King Triton, explaining what had happened to Ursula.

"Daddy, I'm so sorry," Ariel said after their story was finished.

"Please don't be angry with her," Arthur added. "She was just-"

"It's my fault," the king said suddenly, surprising Arthur, Alfred and Antonio. "You followed Ursula because... I wouldn't let you follow your heart. And when you found that crystal, I lost my temper and destroyed it." Antonio snapped his fingers.

"Oh, the crystal!" he said, remembering what happened earlier. "Why did you destroy it?"

"The crystal held the power to reveal the Keyhole. The Keyhole is dangerous. I had to keep you away from it at any cost."

"Daddy…" Ariel muttered.

"Key bearer, I have one more request: Seal the Keyhole. My trident also holds the power to reveal the Keyhole. Will you do it?" Alfred nodded.

"Of course," said the boy. "That's what we had in mind from the start."

"Where is the Keyhole, Daddy?" Ariel asked curiously.

"You should know better than anyone. It's in your grotto."

"Really…?" said Antonio. The Guardian lit up in a smile. "Then let's go."

* * *

The trio, accompanied by Ariel, returned to the grotto. Ariel raised the trident, using its power to reveal the keyhole. The three aimed their keyblades at tit. three beams of light shot out in unison. There was a click as the Keyhole sealed. Antonio laughed and spun around, with Ariel joining him. They were finally able to seal the Keyhole they came for.

"Tell me, all of you," Ariel said once Antonio had calmed down. "Your world, what's it like?" The three exchanged glances.

"The world Arthur and I come from," said Antonio, "is an amazing place. There are many different kinds of people. Our king may not always have the right intentions, but he takes care of us in the end."

"We many not always get along though," Arthur added. "And we do fight each other. But we do pulled together when we need to. The Earth is our home." Arthur sighed, as his last words were muttered. "And I miss it." Alfred snapped up when he realized something. laughing nervously.

"My world…" Alfred trailed off. "Oh… right… About us being from other worlds… Sorry about lying to you about that." To his surprise, Ariel smiled.

"It's okay," she said with a giggle. "Besides, if you can travel to other worlds, maybe I can, too." She swam upwards in a spiral, looking towards the surface. "So many places I want to see... I know I'll get there someday. I'll find a way somehow. I'm sure of it."

"I know you will." Arthur sighed.

"Well, we better get going," said the Brit. "There are other worlds out there that need our help."

"Good luck," said Ariel. She swam back downwards, pulling Antonio into a hug. The Italian turned bright red.

"Thank you," Antonio said before the Trinity returned to their ship.

Alfred groaned as he laid face down on the floor. All three men now had the use of their legs back, and all three were dripping wet.

"I can't feel my legs!" Alfred complained as he sat up. Antonio collapsed beside him.

"I've never done so much swimming in my life!" groaned the soldier. Arthur looked down at the two. He was still standing, despite the fact that his legs felt the same as theirs.

"Get up, both of you," he said. Neither one of them stood. Arthur groaned out of pure frustration. "I'm going to go dry off and clean myself up. You two are welcome to join me when you feel like getting off your arses." Arthur walked off towards the bathroom. "And don't even think about walking around the ship unless you want to clean up the mess you're going to make!"

"Whatever, tattoo-boy!" Alfred called back. Arthur growled in his throat before turning back.

"You tell no one about that." Antonio dragged a finger across his lips.

"Not a word," he said. Alfred hummed a for a bit.

"Well…" said the boy.

"ALFRED!" Alfred laughed.

"Relax. I won't tell… maybe." Arthur narrowed his eyes before turning and walking out of the room. Alfred stood up after a second, pulling Antonio up as well. The pair went off to dry and fix themselves, as well as to put on some dry clothes.


	14. Heart Failure

**Chapter Fourteen: Heart Failure**

* * *

Alfred ran the towel across his hair as he sat down in his chair at the cockpit beside Arthur and Antonio. He grabbed his glasses from off his shirt, sliding them on. All three of them had finally dried off from their more recent adventure.

"So, where we off to?" he said, snapping the towel around his neck.

"I don't know," said Arthur. "I allowed the ship to autopilot itself to the closer uncharted world whilst we were off elsewhere." Arthur tapped a few buttons on the controls. Antonio raised an eyebrow.

"We have an autopilot?" he asked. Arthur nodded. "Then why do you fly the ship?"

"I find it far more reliable and calming. Not to mention I don't have to pay attention Alfred's ramblings." Alfred stuck his tongue out at Arthur.

"So, where are we, Mr. Autopilot?" asked Alfred. Arthur shot a glare back at him before looking out in front of the ship.

"Take a look for yourself." Alfred raised an eyebrow, but walked over to the window anyway. His eyes widened and lit up as a huge grin cross his face. He flicked off the towel onto Arthur before darting towards the ship's hatch.

"Land the thing, Artie! I wanna go, now!" Arthur sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"Alfred seems really excited," noted Antonio.

"I don't see why," Arthur said. Antonio nodded. "This world doesn't look that pleasureable." Antonio nodded again and looked out at the world. He shuddered.

"You're right," he said.

"We can't judge a book by it's cover," Arthur said as he began to land the ship.

* * *

Alfred laughed and spun around as the three arrived down in the new world. Pumpkins and ghosts were scattered everywhere, and he was super excited. He ran ahead, with Arthur and Antonio had to run as fast as they could to keep up.

Alfred came to a stop when he approached a gate. On the top in crooked letters were the words: "Halloween Town." He grinned.

"I can't believe this," he said. "This is amazing."

"This sure is a scary place," said Antonio. "I'll bet the people here are scary-looking too. We'll stand out like ink on paper!"

"Take a look at yourself," said Arthur. "I used my magic to allow us to blend in here." Alfred hummed and turned around. His jaw dropped at the sight of his companions. Their appearances had once again changed.

Arthur was dressed in a striped green shirt with a blue vest, white pants, and black boots. On his hands were black gloves, and hanging on his shoulders was a blue cape that had a collar which stood up on ends. It reminded Alfred of Dracula's. On his head was a small, blue top hat. Alfred took note of his incisors had sharpened.

Antonio didn't look quite as scary as Alfred had expected. He wore a creamish colored dress shirt with an open brown vest. He wore brown pants. His pants were tucked into black boots. On his head were two wolf ears that matched his brown hair, and between his legs was a wolf's tail of the same color. On top of his head was a small cap that allowed his ears to poke through. Alfred looked down at himself with a grin.

Alfred was wearing a white dress shirt with an open black vest. He wore brown pants and dark brown boots. On his hands were brown leather gloves. He took note of the coat he wore. It was a normal orange trench coat, aside from the green soaking up the tears at the bottom. On his head was a hockey mask. He started to laugh. This was too much fun.

* * *

They entered the town square to get a better look at the world. It was dimly lit by lanterns. A fountain stood in the center, with it's water a bright green. The three all jumped as explosion ricocheted from nearby. Smoke rose over the distance.

"What was that?" Alfred thought out loud.

"I don't know," said Arthur, "But I think we should-" Arthur was caught off mid-sentence by several ghost-like Heartless appeared. The Trinity reached for their weapons. Alfred was about to summon his Keyblade when he noticed something.

"Hey, why aren't the Heartless attacking us?" Antonio and Arthur stopped when they noticed this.

"That's rather odd… Every Heartless we've run into so far has tried to tear our hearts out."

"Well, maybe these are good Heartless," suggested Antonio.

"I doubt there is such as thing as a good Heartless." Antonio laughed nervously.

"Maybe we should check out the explosion then?"

"That's not a bad idea," said Alfred. "Let's go!" The three began to walk off in the direction of the smoke, but were stopped once more, this time by a loud voice.

"And now, allow me to introduce…" The trio looked over to see a short man in an extremely tall hat speaking through a megaphone. His head was cone-shaped and displayed the two faces. One face- as well as his hands- was peach-colored, with rosy cheeks and a face set in a permanent smile. The other face was bone-white, had a mouth set in a permanent frown (the teeth of which were pointed) with green lips and yellow eyes. The man's body was also cone-shaped, with his body ballooning outward before ending on short, stubby legs with very tiny feet. He dressed in a black suit with a white undershirt and black-and-white pinstriped pants. He wore a pendant or bow-tie shaped like a black widow spider. There was a red ribbon with the word "MAYOR" printed on a white center pinned to the left breast of his blazer.

"The master of terror... the king of nightmares—" The Mayor continued, "Jack Skellington!" Alfred's eyes lit up as a line of Heartless parted to frame the fountain. A tall, thin figure arose from the green water.

The figure was a skeleton, and so his head lacked hair and sported empty eye sockets and nostrils. Strangely, his neck was solid, not showing vertebrae segmentation. His skull was similar, showing no distinction between his upper and lower jaws. His mouth was thin and wide, marked by a number of small "seams". He wore a black suit with white pinstripes. The top had a single white button, and a white shirt was visible underneath. His black dress shoes were bizarrely small in comparison to the rest of his body. The coat tails of his coat reach to about knee-length, and he wore a large, black bow-tie shaped like a bat with several white veins in its wings and white eyes.

Jack Skellington struck a pose and smiled The Mayor ran over to him as the trio hid behind a nearby wall.

"Bravo, Jack! Bravo!" said the Mayor enthusiastically. "Those ghosts will be a big hit at this year's Halloween!" The Mayor grinned wildly as Jack stepped out from the fountain.

"Thank you, thank you!" said Jack. "But their movement still needs work. It's not scary enough." He hung his head. "I want to strike bone-chilling terror." He lifted his arms in a creepy pose. "I'm going to consult the doctor." Jack walked over to the laboratory, which had been the same direction the Trinity were headed.

"Then I'll go attend to the decorations." The Mayor ran away gleefully. So gleefully, in fact, that he runs in the wrong direction and has to turn around. This allowed the trio to come out from their hiding place.

"Should we follow him?" asked Alfred. Antonio raised an eyebrow.

"The Mayor?" he questioned. Alfred shook his head.

"No, Jack. He is headed towards where the explosion was, right?" There was silence. Alfred crossed his arms over his chest. "Screw you both, I'm following him." Alfred headed off after the skeleton, inadvertently dragging Antonio and Arthur with him.

* * *

Alfred, Arthur, and Antonio followed Jack to a rather large research lab, which was still smoking. They crept around the corner to find themselves peering into a room with an examination table. Someone was looking over a Heartless on the table with Jack by his side.

The person was dressed in a white lab coat, pants of the same color, black shoes, and black gloves that are a good deal wider than his arms. His skin was an unhealthy white color and he had small, beady black eyes, covered by his goggles, as well as thin black eyebrows. His mouth was beak-like in structure and he seemed to be missing a few teeth. Easily, his most prominent feature was his skull, which bore several obvious bolts and a clear horizontal seam going around the middle. The various machines on the walls gurgle and hissed around them.

"I don't understand," said Jack. "Maybe the guidance system was damaged in the explosion."

"Nonsense," said the doctor, "My devices are always perfect!" Jack looked over and searched through the doctor's book.

"Oh, I've got it! Why, of course! The Heartless need a heart!" he turned back to the wheelchair-bound man. "Doctor, do you think we can add a heart to that device?"

"Certainly. A heart's not all that complicated." The doctor moved over towards the end of the table. "Let's get to work." Jack turned back to the book.

"To make a heart, first take a container with a lock…" The doctor pulled out a pulsing box shaped like a human heart with a large keyhole on it.

"We need the key to this thing first!" Alfred grinned as the three pulled away from their view.

"I'm gonna unlock it," he said. Arthur's eyes widened.

"You're going to unlock it for them?" he said in a harsh whisper as to not be heard. Alfred shrugged.

"Why not? If they succeed, we won't have to fight the Heartless, right? Besides, I want to see the Heartless dance, too. Don't you?"

"No." Alfred stuck out his tongue before rounding the corner and walking into the room. "Alfred!" Arthur walked out to get Alfred, pulling Antonio along with him.

"Uh, hey," said Alfred, getting the attention of Jack and the doctor. "I could unlock that for you."

"How did you get in here?" asked the doctor. Alfred paled a little bit.

"The door was unlocked. I saw the explosion and-" Alfred shook his head. "Nevermind. Do you want me to unlock it?"

"You can do that?" asked Jack. Alfred nodded. Without hesitation, Alfred pulled out his keychain from his pocket. Arthur narrowed his eyes, giving Alfred a look telling him not to do what he was about to do. Alfred ignored him and summoned his keyblade. He aimed it at the heart, allowing the small beam of light to unlock it with a click. He grinned as his Keyblade turned back into a keychain, which he stowed away. Arthur and Antonio joined him by his side. Arthur's eyes were still narrowed.

"My! That was amazing!" Jack exclaimed before putting on a confused expression. "Uh, and you are…"

"Alfred F. Jones, at your service," Alfred said before pointing over to the others. "The vamp is Arthur, and the wolf over there is Antonio." Antonio waved with a nervous laugh. Jack walked over to the three.

"Well done, Alfred! I'd like you to be a part of this year's Halloween." Alfred smiled widely. Before he could answer, Arthur cleared his throat, interrupting them.

"I hate to interrupt this little scare fest of yours, but what's this Heartless doing here?" the Englishman asked while he pointed over to the Heartless on the table.

"Oh, the Heartless came to town just recently," Jack began to explain. "What's frustrating is I can't get them to dance with me. So the doctor and I are trying to improve the guidance system. He's quite a genius!" He turned his attention back towards the doctor and the book. "Okay, Doctor, let's continue. The ingredients for a heart: Pulse." The doctor put a pulsating frog on the table. "Emotion."

"Terror," the doctor added as he put down a large spider. Alfred covered Antonio's mouth to keep him from screaming because of it.

"Fear." The doctor's hand slid off a pane of glass on the table, making an eerie screech. Antonio covered his ears at the sound. "Hope and despair." Two snakes, each with their mouths over each other's tails, were placed on the table. "Mix them all together, and we have a heart!" The doctor put the items into the container and placed the heart into the console of the machine. He wheeled over to a large lever and pulled it, initiating the experiment. The machine sparks to life, gears clicking and whirling. Electricity crackles over the Heartless, who suddenly sits up with its arms outstretched, before falling limp.

"It failed!" Both Jack and Alfred gave a disappointed look as the doctor peered over his research book. "Maybe we're missing some ingredients. Let's try adding memory." The doctor flipped open the top of his skull, revealing his brain. The trio hid their disgust at this as the doctor scratched it.

"Sally! Sally! Good-for-nothing girl! Don't know why I bothered creating her!" The doctor slammed his fists on the arms of his wheelchair and closed his skull. He whirled around to face the trio and Jack. "Sally's got the memory we need. See if you can track her down."

"No problem," said Jack before he turned to the three. "Would you three like to come along?"

"Sure," said Alfred. He looked over at the others. "What do you guys say?"

"Yes," Antonio said. "It would be good to look around, right?" Alfred nodded as Arthur put his face in his hands.

"Why must I always be outnumbered when we vote on things?" he groaned. "I'm guessing I'm in as well." Alfred grinned brightly as the four left the laboratory.

* * *

As the four left the lab, they caught sight of the Mayor at the bottom of the stairs, with his unhappy face on.

"Jack! Jack! We have a major crisis!" The Mayor shouted through his megaphone. "The Heartless are completely out of control! We can't stop them!"

"Hmm... Maybe our experiment triggered something," Jack muttered before calling out to the Mayor. "Everything will be fine, Mayor. You have nothing to worry about." Arthur crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. The Trinity drew their weapons, quickly defeating the Heartless in the square. They headed quickly out to the graveyard, in which there were more Heartless.

* * *

Alfred soon watched as the last Heartless faded back into the darkness. His keyblade turned back into keychain. He began swinging it around on his finger.

"That was easy as-" Alfred said before giving off a yell. A ghostly image of a dog with a bright red nose jumped out in front of him. His keychain flew out of his hands as the boy stumbled backwards into his companions, sending him, Antonio and Arthur into a few of the graves. Jack pulled them to their feet. The Pumpkin King turned and walked over to the dog.

"Zero! Have you seen Sally anywhere?" Jack asked the dog. Zero flew over to a gravestone, startling the person behind it.

A rag doll stood up and looked over at them, the stitches covering her pale blue body clearly visible. Her feet were covered by black shoes, worn over baggy, black-and-white striped socks. Her long, reddish-brown hair reached down to her hips and was parted in the middle. Her clothing consisted of a worn, tattered dress made up of many different scraps of cloth sewn together. While it was predominantly pale pink and grey, her dress had small areas of yellow and green around her left and right shoulders, respectively, and each individual patch was covered in a unique black or grey pattern, save for a few patches that were a solid color.

"Is something wrong, Jack?" Sally, the ragdoll, asked.

"No, everything's going great. We're going to have the best Halloween ever. All we need now is your memory."

"'Memory'?" Sally repeated. "You mean this?" She pulled out a gnarled looking blue Forget-Me-Not. Alfred snickered at the pun under his breath as she gave it to Jack. "Jack, I have a bad feeling about this. Why don't you try something else? There's still time."

"Nothing could beat what I've got planned! Once we give the Heartless a heart, they'll dance just as I envision it." This did not decrease Sally's worried look. "Trust me. You're going to love it!" Sally sighed as they all began walking back to Halloween Town. Antonio looked over to see Alfred bent over a grave, digging around behind it. He stopped as the other three walked on.

"Alfred, what the heck are you doing?" he asked, walking over to the Keyblade Wielder.

"I dropped my keychain back here," he said. "I can't reach…" Alfred's sentence was cut off when he fell behind the grave. Antonio bent over as Alfred peaked out from behind it.

"You okay? You got your Keyblade?" Alfred nodded, holding up the keychain.

"I just fell on something…" Alfred dug around farther behind the tombstone and finally found what it was. It was a Jack-In-The-Box. "Are you serious?" Antonio grabbed the boy around the waist and pulled him out. Alfred had the Box held to his chest.

"Why do you have that?"

"I'm bringing it with me." Antonio turned and walked back towards town. "What? It could come in handy!" Alfred ran after him.

* * *

The group soon returned to the doctor's lab, where they gave him the flower. As it turns out, They needed one more ingredient, in which Alfred had in his hands. The doctor quickly assembled the heart together, putting the new ingredients in.

"There you go," said the doctor once he was finished, "This time it's sure to work." He wheeled over with the heart on his lap to the other end of the table. That's when something tripped the doctor over, sending to the floor and the heart in the air. The Trinity whipped around. Three children were over by the doorway. One dressed as a skeleton, the other and witch, and a third was dressed like a devil. The devil had the heart in his hands.

"Thank you for catching the heart." said Arthur, "Can you please give it b-"

"Make us, old man!"shouted the devil. Arthur's eyes filled with anger.

"What?!" The children began running away. "Get back here, you brats!" The englishman raced off after him. Jack, Alfred and Antonio followed in pursuit, determined to get the heart back.

* * *

The trio soon caught up with Arthur in the square. He was leaning against the wall, with his head in his hands.

"And we lost them," said Alfred, running a hand through his hair. "Nice one, Artie."

"Shut it," Arthur hissed, standing up straight. Jack taps a hand on his leg, calling Zero over to him once more.

"Zero, after them, quickly!" ordered the skeleton. Zero barked before flying towards the Graveyard. Alfred, Jack, Arthur and Antonio followed after. Zero flew over to a curled hill, which had unfurled to let three children across it. The four arrived at the hill as well, crossing over it after the children. They followed the kids over a bridge, stopping at where it ended. In front of them was a large haunted looking manor. Lanterns, platforms and traps covered the rickety looking building as the children headed inside.

"I knew Oogie Boogie was behind this!" said Jack.

"Who is that?" Antonio asked.

"He's a troublemaker, that's what."

"We have to get that heart back," said Alfred. "Come on!" The boy raced over into the manor, with the others following behind.

They quickly made their way up the mansion, fighting Heartless until they found the topmost room.

"Do you think they're in here?" asked Alfred. Arthur nodded.

"They have to be," he said. "This is the last room left." They went inside.

* * *

Inside the door was a small room with child-sized items scattered a bathtub was a shoot, from which the three children were dropping the heart down.

"Hey!" shouted Alfred. His voice startled the devil, who had the heart in his hands. It slipped from his grasp and dropped down the shoot. Arthur walked over to the child, a dark glint in his eye. It reminded Alfred of when he used to get in trouble as a kid, and anger his mother.

"What do you children think you're doing?" Arthur asked, his voice grim and dark. Alfred stiffened, even though he knew it was not him that was getting told off.

"We were just following orders!" said the witch. "Oogie Boogie told us to steal the heart. It's all Barrel's fault! It was his idea to tell Oogie Boogie about the heart."

"Yeah, that's right!" The devil agreed.

"B-But you guys said—" the skeleton boy stuttered out.

"You should be ashamed!" said the witch.

"Oogie Boogie made us do it. We had no choice," the devil explained.

"Oogie Boogie told us not to give away his hiding place. Oh, and we're not supposed to talk about the lever, either…" said the skeleton boy. Alfred looked over at the edge of the wall. There was a rusted old lever. He raised an eyebrow, walking over to it.

"You mean this one?" he said, giving it a pull. There was the sound of whirring gears from outside, causing Alfred to grin. "Think that's our ride." Antonio walked over to the kids, crouching down to their level.

"Do you know where can find Oogie Boogie at?" he asked as gently as he could. At least it was better than Arthur's approach to it. "Or what he wants with the heart?"

"What's he going to do with the heart?" the skeleton repeated. Antonio nodded. "Beats me. I'd stay away from Oogie Boogie if I were you."

"Do you know where the heart is? You three shouldn't have stolen it like that."

"Hey, I was just following Oogie Boogie's orders!" said the witch. "We don't have the heart! Oogie Boogie has it!"

"Can you take us to him?"

"There's no way I'm gonna take you to him! If I did that, Oogie Boogie would eat us too," said the devil.

"You'll never find the green door!" the witch added. Arthur walked up from behind Antonio and pulled him to his feet.

"I think that's all the information we need," he said with a smirk. Arthur turned on his heel, heading out the door. "I say we hurry and find that door." The others followed him out.

* * *

The group of four headed out and ran up a long, spiral ramp. Eventually, they found a bright green door, contrasting the darker exterior. Alfred opened it, motioning the others inside.

Inside the room was a giant roulette wheel. Images of skulls, ghosts, boney fingers and other things decorated the wheel. In the center was a pillar of spikes. Standing across from them on a higher platform, was a large sack-like being. In his hand-stubs… was the heart.

"Oogie Boogie, give me back the heart!" Jack shouted to the sack.

"You want it?" shouted Oogie Boogie. "Well, then come on over and get it!" He put the heart in his mouth and swallowed it down, to everyone's surprise. He began cackling. "Now, let's see if I can get their attention. Oh, Heartless!" Out of the shadows, two gargoyle-like Heartless appeared beside him. Oogie Boogie looked at them with shock.

"This is it?" he said angrily. "Nobody disrespects me! Nobody!" He pulled a switch on the wall. An explosion erupted from behind Alfred and company, knocking them into the pit of the roulette wheel. The Heartless flew down and attacked them. The Trinity drew their Keyblades, quickly defeating them.

"C'mon, baby!" Oogie threw dice into the pit. As soon as they made contact, the dice exploded. Luckily, no one was injured by the blast. Alfred's eyes caught something. A switch. He ran up to it, flipping the switch.

"Whoa!" the boy shouted. The small area Alfred was standing on shook and rose up. This allowed him access to the boogeyman currently throwing dice at his friends. Alfred ran forward, raising his keyblade. Oogie Boogie caught sight of him. Before Alfred could even land a blow, an explosion erupted between them. Alfred fell backwards down into the pit. Arthur pulled him to his feet.

"You alright?" Arthur asked. Alfred nodded.

"We need to get to that lever," he said pointing over to the area he had been before. Arthur nodded. He aimed his wand at the boogeyman.

" _Tonitrua_!" he shouted, sending lightening towards him. It was then that a spinning saw blade whirled past Alfred's head, missing it only by inches. The roulette wheel began spinning around, sending Alfred, Arthur, and Antonio in front of three slot machines.

"This is a game I don't think we can win!" shouted Antonio. The eyes of the slot machines began to glow and they raised their pistols, shooting at the three of them. The Trinity jumped out of the way onto another button that sent all of them upward to face Oogie. They attack Oogie Boogie with everything they have, causing the villain's burlap sack to open and a swarm of squirming bugs to fall all over the floor. The three of the Trinity cringed as Oogie Boogie screamed before the sack falls motionless with the heart still inside as a final blue bug crawls out of it. It lands on its back, squirming on the floor of the pit. There was a loud crunch as Arthur stepped on it.

"So, that heart was a failure after all," said Jack dejectedly as the four left Oogie's manor.

"Cheer up, Jack," said Alfred, trying to be reassuring. "There's always next time."

* * *

As soon as the four were a good distance away from the manor, a large explosion knocked them onto their feet. Dust billowed out from around them as they stood. A loud moan rang out. When the dust had settled, there was a unholy sight before them that made the three brought out their weapons.

Oogie Boogie's body had merged with the manor. Large, dark globs covered the entire home.

"Whoa! How did he get so big?" Alfred muttered under his breath. "Seriously though, that can not be sanitary."

"My best guess is that he's drawing power from those dark orbs on him," Arthur said.

"So we have to destroy these things, right?" Arthur nodded. The three ran over to the living mansion, destroying the dark orbs in their path. After the final one was taken out, the mansion quaked and crumbles to the ground. In its place a giant Keyhole appeared.

"Keyhole! Found! How!?" said Alfred, looking down at the their feet. "How am I supposed to seal this?" Arthur looked up into the air.

"If you can't go one way, you go another," He said. "You go up." Alfred raised his Keyblade in the air. Its beam of light shot out of it. The light lingered above the keyhole for a moment before it shot downwards. The locked clicked and the hole disappeared.

"And that's another world saved!" said Antonio excitedly as the three returned to Halloween Town.

* * *

The four returned to the doctor's Lab, where Sally was waiting for them.

"Sally, why didn't I listen to you?" asked Jack after the Trinity had explained what had happened with the heart.

"Don't feel bad, Jack," said Sally. "We'll come up with another plan for Halloween. Next time, we'll do it together." She took Jack's hands into her own. Alfred looked away, not wanting to watch the scene unfold.

"I guess we have no choice. We'll have to cancel the Heartless Halloween festival for now."

"I guess we better get going then," said Alfred. "I'll be honest. I like this world."

"Visit us any time,you three. Next year's Halloween will be the scariest ever!" said Jack before the three departed. One last sentence fell on the Trinity's ears before they left the lab.

"Emotion, memory... We put in all the necessary ingredients. What else do you need to make a heart? What is a heart, anyway? I can't figure it out."

* * *

Alfred tapped on the control panel of the ship. He and the others had long since returned to normal appearance, but something said in Halloween Town still lingered in his mind.

"Cat got your tongue, Alfred?" asked Arthur. Alfred looked up, snapping out of his thoughts.

"What?" he asked. "No, I'm just thinking."

"I think the saying is penny for your thoughts?" Antonio said before nodding. "Yeah, I believe that's it." Alfred sighed, straightening up and facing his friends.

"I was just thinking… what is a heart? Not like, the beating thing in your chest. The thing that Heartless steal. What is it?" There was silence among the three. The only noise to be heard was the ship's engine. Eventually, Arthur sighed.

"I'm guessing it's who you are?" he said, even though he sounded unsure. "What do you think?"

"Your spirit?" Antonio suggested. "Arthur has the right idea. I believe your heart is everything. Your emotions, your feelings. Everything that embodies you."

"Maybe that's why the Heartless want it so bad," Alfred said. "They want their feelings and emotions back?" Arthur shrugged.

"Who knows? All I do know is that there are other worlds to-" Arthur was cut off when the ship was given a sudden lurch, causing the Trinity to topple out of their seats and sliding on the floor of the ship.


	15. Believe in Yourself

**Chapter Fifteen: Believe in Yourself**

* * *

Alfred groaned as he got to his feet. He rubbed the bruise that was forming on the side of his face as he stood.

"What the heck just hit us…?" he muttered. Antonio pulled himself up, looking out the window. He turned as white as a sheet.

"Uh, I don't mean to alarm anyone, but a big ship is catching up to us," he said. Arthur got to his feet as Alfred ran over to the window. The ship lurched again. An actual ship- almost like a boat- had pushed past them, the sails clearly visible.

"Quit gawking!" snapped Arthur. "That's a pirate ship!"

"How the heck do you know that?" asked Alfred. The only times he had seen such ships were in movies. Even with that experience, he wouldn't be able to identify one from that distance.

"Long story short, I had a different life before I came under the King's service."

"That ship is gonna ram us again!" shouted Antonio.. The ship had turned around once more, aiming for the gummi ship.

"Brace for impact!" The ship rammed into the Trinity's ship. Alfred hit his head on the control panel, allowing his world to go black.

* * *

Alfred woke up with a groan. He could hear a few voices as something throbbed against his skull. He went to calm it, only to find his arms were immobile. He blinked his blue eyes to find that his arms were bound to his sides. He pulled against the ropes. Alfred turned to either side of him. Arthur was behind him. He couldn't see his face. Antonio was on his other side. And in reach.

Alfred loosened the bounds around his arms just enough move them towards the soldier. He tapped his arm.

"Antonio," he said in harsh whisper before hitting him again. "Antonio!" The Guardian groaned a bit, but didn't wake. Alfred drew his hand back as far as he could before audibly hitting Antonio. "Antonio!" Antonio snapped awake. He sighed, lowering his head. Antonio began pulling against their restraints. Alfred felt then tighten over his chest. "Antonio, calm the hell down."

"We're tied up on a boat!" Antonio whispered, sounding worried. "I don't like this!" Alfred sighed. Should've tried waking up Arthur.

"Hey, is Artie awake?" Antonio looked over to the other side of him. He shook his head.

"No."

"You think you can try to-" Alfred said before being cut off by a very familiar voice to the both of them.

"I didn't think you'd come, Alfred," said the voice. Antonio and Alfred looked away from each other and up at the voice. Standing up on the main dock above the three was none other than Matthew Williams. "Good to see you again."

"Where are we?" Alfred asked almost immediately. "What did you do to Arthur?"

"He hit his head, but is he that important to you? More important than old friends? Instead of worrying about him, you both should be asking…" Matthew gestured to either side of him. "...about her." In a small flash, a body was suspended beside him. To his right was Sakura. She seemed to be breathing, but made no reactions to anything around her.

"Sakura!" Alfred called out, hoping to get something from her. Matthew had a small, eerie smile on his face that didn't bring any comfortable feeling.

"That's right," he said. "While you were off goofing around, I found her." Alfred struggled against his binds, but was stopped when a silver hook was put to his neck. He froze. Looking up, Alfred came face to face with Matthew's pirate guide. The infamous Captain Hook.

"Not so fast. No shenanigans aboard my vessel, boy," said Hook. Antonio's side of the rope tightened as he tried to reach something.

"Alfred!" he said. Alfred turned, becoming as stiff as a stone. Surrounding them were Heartless. Alfred narrowed his eyes and turned back to Matthew.

"Matthew, why are you siding with the Heartless?" he demanded.

"The Heartless obey me now, Alfred," Matthew explained in his calm tone. "Now… I have nothing to fear." Alfred glared at Matthew and his careless, violet eyes.

"You're stupid!" Alfred snapped. "Sooner or later they'll swallow your heart!" Matthew's own eyes narrowed as his expression changed to disgust.

"Not a chance. My heart is too strong."

"Mattie…" Matthew drew a breath before returning to his calm state of mind.

"I've learned a few tricks as well," he continued. "For example…" Matthew raised a hand. Alfred's shadow lifted out of the ground. The boy stared at it wide eyed. "You can go now." With a snap of his fingers, a trap door opened up beneath Alfred, Antonio and Arthur. Down the three fell, with the door closing shut a second later. Matthew took Sakura into his arms. He looked down at Captain Hook.

"Let's get under way, already," he ordered. "And keep them away from Sakura until we're ready to land." He turned and left to the Captain's hold without another word.

* * *

Down in the hold, the third member of the party had finally awakened from their crash. Currently, Alfred and Antonio were telling a conscious Arthur about Sakura and what had happened on deck.

"I'm still not sure about it…" said Antonio. "It didn't seem real to me…"

"I know what I saw," said Alfred. "It was definitely her. We've finally found her." Antonio nodded.

"Alright!" he said cheerfully. "Then let's go up and talk to her, then."

"Yeah!"

"Sounds great. Okay, but first…" said Arthur once the other two finished their conversation. "How about untying us!?" Alfred looked down at the ropes that still binded them together. He knew he forgot something.

"Eh... sorry…" Antonio said.

"Alright. Any ideas?" said Alfred. There was a pause as Arthur wormed his way over to face Antonio.

"Antonio, do you still have the gift the princess gave you for your birthday last year?" he asked. Antonio nodded.

"Yes," he said, "but I don't think now is the time to talk about it."

"No! If it didn't fall out of your pocket, you can use it to free us!" Antonio grinned before turning over to Alfred.

"Alfred, I need some help. In my pocket. I can't reach." Alfred nodded slowly as he wiggled his way closer to Antonio. He reached his hand into his pocket, feeling around until his fingers came in contact with a metal object. He took out a silver knife. He put it in Antonio's hand. "Thank you!"

Antonio flipped out the blade and began to go to work. He slowly began sawing through the thick ropes, taking into account extra care as to not nick anyone with the blade he had in hand. Finally, the ropes snapped as Antonio cut the last strand. They fell lifeless at the Trinity's sides. Alfred got up, tossing the ropes away. He walked towards the door locking them in the small room.

"If I can just…" Alfred muttered. He took a few steps back before running forward. He slammed his shoulder against the door. He repeated this several times before getting a result. Soon, there was a snap as the lock broke, and the door swung open.

"How did you do that?" asked Arthur. Alfred shrugged.

"It comes naturally, I guess. Family trait! Let's go before they find out we're gone!" The three left their holding cell.

* * *

Alfred, Arthur and Antonio wandered aimlessly down in the ship. Alfred groaned.

"How long have we been walking?" he complained. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"About thirty minutes," said the Mystic. "Quit your complaining. The sooner we can find our way out of here, the sooner we can get to your friend."

"I know, but… I'm pretty sure we've passed our cell six times."

"He has a point, Arthur," agreed Antonio. Arthur shot a look over at him with a sigh.

"This would be much easier if we knew the layout of the ship," he said. "But, unfortunately we don't. Therefore, I say we admit we're lost and try to-"Arthur was interrupted by someone clearing their throat behind them. The three looked around to them.

"How ya doin' there? Looking for a way out?" said what they knew to be a young boy. He was dressed in green tights, carrying a dagger in a scabbard at his waist. He had pale skin, brown eyes, and short, orange hair. He wore a green cap with a red feather in it on his head, and a light green, short-sleeved tunic. He also wore tan, pointed shoes.

"Who are you?" Antonio asked, confused to the newcomer.

"Okay, then. Fine. Have it your way," said the boy was he started to back away from the three. Alfred took a few steps forward, meeting him.

"But you're stuck in here too, aren't you?" Alfred pointed out. The boy crossed his arms.

"No. I'm just waiting for someone."

"Who?" Suddenly, a bright light flew into the hallway and swirled around Alfred, giving off magical dust. The boy jumped backward out of surprise and into the others behind him. They steadied him as the light flew up to the boy.

"Tinker Bell, what took you so long?" said the boy. The bright light faded and revealed a tiny pixie. She had blonde hair tied into a bun on the top of her head by a blue ribbon. She had blue eyes and wings. She wore a short, green, strapless dress and green slippers, each sporting a white puffball on the front.

"Great job. So you found Wendy?" Tinkerbell made a sound that neither of the three could understand. "Hold on. There was another girl there, too?" Tinkerbell crossed her arms. Antonio grinned. The others knew who the girl that the boy was talking about was. "Are you crazy? There's no way I'm gonna leave Wendy there!" Arthur smirked.

"She must be pretty jealous," he said. Arthur laughed. Tinker Bell turned around, stamping her foot in the air and glaring at him. She flew over to him and kicked him nose. Arthur stopped laughing as Tinkerbell flew out of the room in a huff.

"Come on, Tink!" shouted the boy after the fairy. Alfred cleared his throat, getting the boy's attention. He smirked.

"I'm Alfred. My friends are Arthur and Antonio," said Alfred holding out his hand.

"I'm Peter Pan," said the boy. He moves his hand to take Alfred's, the boy pulls back. Okay, we're in this together, but only 'til we find Wendy."

"As long as you can help us get out of here," said Antonio.

* * *

The three, now with Peter Pan on their side, were making better time than they did on their own. However, the silence between all four was deafening. They walked through another hold as Peter Pan flew above them. Antonio looked up at the boy.

"So, uh, how come you can fly?" he asked, hoping to break the silence.

"Anyone can fly," Peter explained. "You wanna try?" Antonio nodded. Peter whistled and Tinker Bell flew into the room. She didn't seem too pleased. "Aw, haven't you cooled off yet, Tink?" Despite whatever Tinkerbell told him, Peter took her by the wings and held the fairy over Alfred, Arthur, and Antonio, sprinkling magical dust on them. "Just a little bit of pixie dust. There. Now you can fly."

"Great," Arthur said, not even trying to hide his sarcasm. "Let's keep moving before we're found." And on that note, silence returned as the four moved on.

* * *

Meanwhile, Matthew was in the Captain's Hold talking to Captain Hook. The captain certainly didn't seemed too happy with the news he had just received from him.

"What? So Wendy's not one of the chosen ones?" said the captain, earning only a nod from Matthew.

"There are supposedly seven princesses, and Maleficent says she's not one of them," Matthew explained. He turned towards the door. "Raise anchor as soon as possible. Leave all the dead weight behind, including her."

"After the trouble of capturing her? And why those seven? What is Maleficent planning, anyway?" Matthew shrugged.

"Who knows? As long as it means getting Sakura's heart back, I couldn't care less."

"You're wasting your time! The Heartless has devoured that girl's heart. I'll stake me other hand it's lost forever." Matthew's eyes narrowed.

"I will find it." The conversation was cut short by a voice coming from a tube nearby.

"Uh, Captain…" said the voice nervously. Captain Hook walks over to a speaking tube. Matthew leaned against the door, listening to the conversation.

"What?" Hook said. His tone was still on the brim of anger.

"The prisoners have escaped. What's more, Peter Pan is with them." Anger went to annoyance.

"Blast that Peter Pan! All right, then! Bring the hostage to me cabin, Smee! Hop to it!" Matthew straightened up and left the room, Heartless following in his wake.

After all, he had his own cargo to worry about keeping safe.

* * *

Down in the lower decks of the ship, the Trinity and Peter an continued on their trek through the Jolly Roger. It was a random moment when Tinkerbell flew up near the ceiling, gathering everyone's attention.

"What is it, Tink?" Peter Pan asked the fairy. Alfred narrowed his eyes as he saw what Tinkerbell was near. It was a grate, which allowed access into another holding cell.

A young girl in a blue dress was sitting on a cot in the room above. She possessed big blue eyes and curly, light-brown hair which she tied back using a blue bow. She turned her head towards the sound of Peter's voice.

"Peter? Peter Pan?" the girl asked. before rushing over and kneeling by the grate. Peter looked up at her.

"Wendy!" he said, flying closer to her.

"Please hurry! The pirates are coming!" Wendy begged.

"What! I'll be right up there! Just hold on!" Alfred took a few steps forward, allowing himself to get close enough to Wendy to speak with her.

"Wendy?" he asked the girl. She looked over at him.

"Yes?" said Wendy.

"Is there another girl in there with you?" Wendy looked over to her side. Beside her was the one other female on the ship. She was sitting limply on the floor.

"Oh, why, yes. But she seems to be asleep. She hasn't budged an inch." He stepped up closer, looking into a familiar face.

"Sakura? Sakura!" Alfred called out, trying to get her attention. It didn't seem to work, as she remained still. Alfred sighed, leaning up against the boxes. It was like Sakura was stuck in a trance

The ship lurched, causing Sakura's hand to fall from her lap and next to her. Alfred stretched out his arm, trying his best to reach it with a small glimmer of hope on his face. Her fingers twitched, putting a small smile on his face. All of Alfred's hope was smashed as the door to the cell opened. Sakura's body was dragged away, along with a cry from Wendy. The door slammed shut.

"Wendy!" Peter Pan called out. There was no response. He turned toward the Trinity. "Hey, let's get up there!" Alfred nodded.

"Right."

The four of them raced up to a higher level of the ship before coming to where they believed the room holding the girls was. Peter banged on the door.

"Wendy, are you in there?" He called out. There was no answer. Alfred looked around the hall. Nearby was a ladder.

"This way!" he said. They headed up the ladder. It lead up into the Captain's Quarters. The room was empty, with the exception of one person standing in the middle of the room. Matthew stood there with a dark look in his eye. In his arms was Sakura's limp body.

"Matthew, wait!" Alfred cried out. Matthew ignored him as shadows flowed from every doorway in the room. They gathered in the center, twisting a forming into one solid being. Its shape looked exactly as Alfred's was. It's bright, glowing yellow eyes stared at them with an eerie expression. A dark portal opened up behind Matthew. Without another word, he disappeared into it, taking Sakura with him.

Alfred went to go after his brother, but his shadow stood in his way. The shadow jumped at him, pinning him by the throat to the wall. Arthur drew his wand, and in a flash, he sent a ball of fire into the shadow's side, pushing him away and off of Alfred. Alfred slid to the floor, catching his breath. Antonio pulled him to his feet, pulling his shield off of his back. Alfred summoned Old Glory. As soon as he did, his shadow summoned a darker version as well.

"You have got to be kidding me," Alfred said as the shadow lurched towards him and Antonio, attacking them mercilessly with the dark Keyblade. With every move Alfred made, his shadow seemed to mirror it. The shadow soon sank back into the floor before splitting into three.

"Three Alfreds," remarked Arthur. "My worst nightmare." Alfred shot a quick glare at Arthur before jumping into battle. With the room crowded, Peter Pan flew forward and used his own shadow to strike the fakes. The real one remained, and vanished in a burst of dark energy. Alfred whipped around, looking for his shadow. From behind, something struck the boy, sending him to the floor. Alfred scrambled to his feet, seeing his shadow behind him for only a second before it vanished. The creature made no sound as it moved around the Keyblade Wielder, striking him repeatedly. Arthur aimed his wand.

" _Tonitrua_!" he called out. Thunder cracked from around Alfred, but there was no success in luring the shadow out.

"We have to do something!" cried Arthur. "It's going to kill him." Antonio threw his shield as if it were a disk. It froze in midair. Darkness feathered out from around it until what it had struck was completely visible. The darkness from Alfred's shadow dripped onto the floor. Alfred collapsed onto the ground as well. Antonio ran up to Alfred, keeping him upright as the darkness of the shadow returned to the soles of Alfred's feet. Arthur walked over, getting down by Alfred's side. He opened a bottle and forced a potion down past Alfred's mouth. Alfred could feel any injury he had received burning up before fading away from under his clothing.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked. Alfred nodded as he stood, releasing Old Glory.

"Yeah. I'm fine," he said with a sigh. "Where do we go now? We don't know where the ship is, Sakura's gone and Matthew has gone bananas!" Arthur clapped a hand over Alfred's mouth.

"Calm down. Peter found a trapdoor. We can start there to see if our ship is down there." Alfred nodded.

* * *

The three dropped down the trapdoor. Laying on the floor was Wendy. Her eyes were closed. Peter Pan floated down next to her and picked her head up.

"Wendy!" Peter said, trying to wake her up. Tinkerbell whizzed around the air above him. "Come on, Tink! Not now!" He waved her off and she flew away. Peter picked up Wendy and turned towards the Trinity. "Well, this is as far as I can go. I've gotta help Wendy." He flew out of the room, leaving Alfred, Arthur, and Antonio by themselves.

"Now where do we go?" asked Antonio.

"We should return on the deck," said Arthur. "It's the last place where the ship could be. In a murmur of agreement, they headed back up to the Captain's quarters.

Arthur opened the door to the main deck. As soon as they walked out onto there, all three were met with Captain Hook and a mass of Pirate Heartless surrounding them on all sides.

"Quite a codfish, that friend of yours—" the captain remarked as he walked up to the three. "Running off with that girl without even saying goodbye." The three prepared to fight.

"Run off where? Tell me, where did he go?" Alfred demanded. "For all I know, my brother could be in danger." He pointed his weapon at the captain.

"To the ruins of Hollow Bastion, where Maleficent resides. But you won't be going there." Captain Hook took a lantern from his first mate and held it up. Trapped inside was Tinkerbell, her hands banging against the glass. "Unless you intend to leave your little pixie friend behind?" He held his hook up to the lantern, scraping the glass with it, scaring Tinkerbell. Alfred sighed in exasperation, dispelling the Keyblade.

"Stand down," he told the others.

"But Alfred-" said Antonio before receiving a look from Alfred.

"I said stand down." As if on their orders, Antonio and Arthur put away their shield and wand respectively. The Pirate Heartless surround them, knives bared.

"Hand over the Keyblade and I'll spare your lives," said Hook. "Be glad I'm merciful, unlike the Heartless. So, which will it be? The Keyblade, or the plank?" He pointed his hook in the direction of the plank, a wooden board hoisted off the side of the deck. Alfred could hear a sound in the air. In the water below was a sharp-toothed crocodile in the water, the clock inside its belly ticking away. "It's him! The crocodile that took me hand! Oh, Smee! He's after me other hand! I can't stay here! Go away! Oh, I can't stand the sight of him!" Hook retreated into his cabin. "Smee, you take care of them!"

The Pirate Heartless grabbed Alfred by the wrists, pushing him towards the edge of the ship. Their swords dug their points into his back.

"Hey!" Alfred shouted. "Let go of me!"

"Alfred!" Antonio called out before being forced back further by the Heartless. Arthur stood there with a solemn look on his face. Alfred tried to pull away from the Heartless to avail. The one time he needed it, his strength failed him. The Heartless pushed Alfred onto the plank, who backs slowly towards the ocean. Alfred pulled his hands from the Heartless's Heartless pointed their swords at him. Alfred took a step backward, trying to get away from the blades until he was on the edge of the plank.

When he reaches the edge of the plank, the crocodile opens its wide mouth. Alfred felt a shiver run up his spine.

"I never thought that in my life that this would be how it ended," Alfred muttered as he looked down at the churning waters below. He swallowed down his fear and a bit of vomit that was rising in his throat. "I don't want to die…" Before Alfred could take the plunge, a voice echoed from above.

"Fly, Alfred! Just believe, and you can do it!" called out someone familiar. Alfred looked up and grinned. He closed his eyes and took a step backwards off the plank. Alfred shut his eyes, waiting for the splash as he descended down towards the crocodile in the water. But there was no splash.

At the last possible second, Alfred found himself floating in midair. A victorious smirk crossed his features as he swooped upwards, narrowly avoiding the crocodile's bite. Alfred rocketed skyward, above the deck of the ship. Even from the height he was at, he could see the amazement on the faces below. From above, Peter Pan swooped down to the deck. He took Tinker Bell from Smee, who was distracted by Alfred. Alfred and Peter Pan descended from the air, landing on the deck in front of the flabbergasted first mate. Peter Pan opened the lantern, setting Tinker Bell free. Alfred laughed.

"Thanks, Peter," he said to the boy beside him.

"Hey, don't mention it. You didn't think I'd leave you and Tink behind, did you?" Peter Pan replied as Tinkerbell floated down next to them. Alfred opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the footfalls of running coming towards him. Alfred turned as Arthur and Antonio ran up behind him.

"You did it!" Antonio said happily. "You're alive!"

"I am," Alfred answered. He sounded relieved. Arthur gazed at the boy.

"That was reckless, irresponsible and overall-" he began. Alfred groaned loudly.

"That has been this entire adventure so far. Can you drop it?" he asked. Arthur narrowed his eyes. The conversation was ceased, however, when the Heartless began to swarm around the three. In a flash, the Trinity was ready for battle.

"You're all going down!"

They attacked the Heartless on the ship and in the air without any submission shown. Once the Heartless were taken care of, Alfred and Peter Pan wait outside the Captain's Hold. Peter knocked on the door with a devilish grin.

"Is that you, Smee? Did you finish them off?" Hook asked from the other side of the door. Peter laughed silently to himself and pinched his nose to sound like Smee.

"Aye, Captain," Peter mimicked. "They walked the plank, every last one of them." The two stepped aside as Captain Hook ran out past them and looked around, seeing nobody there, before Peter Pan poked him with his dagger. Hook shouted and jumped into the air, stumbling over his words.

"P-Peter Pa—blast you!" He glared at the smiling boy.

"Ready to make a splash, you codfish?" said Peter. "Now it's your turn to talk the plank!" He pointed toward Hook.

Heartless appeared in the air, raining down cannon fire on them. Arthur and Antonio as Alfred had done before, using a flying ability from the pixie dust that they had been gifted with earlier. As Arthur and Antonio took care of the airborne Heartless, Alfred and Peter Pan went after Hook, who slashed in the air frantically at them.  
Hook threw a box at Alfred, which exploded in his face. Peter Pan charged at him with his dagger. Alfred grabbed his face with his hands, wincing at the burns. He looked back with a pained look in his eyes. Alfred slid towards Hook and made desperate attempts to strike with the Keyblade, but Hook jumped back near the rudder of the ship.

From above, Arthur darted down and after him.

" _Incendio_!" he called out, sending a wave of fire from his wand. The spell hit Hook, setting his pants on fire and caused him to run around hysterically. He ran over the guardrail at the top deck. Peter Pan flew up and knocked him into the water, making a big splash. Alfred ran over the edge, peering over as Hook surfaced in front of the crocodile. The crocodile opened his mouth happily, his tongue lolling about as he pounced at Captain Hook. The captain ran on the water, screaming, as the crocodile chased him out of sight.

Alfred laughed as his two companions joined him at the guardrail. The three stood away from Alfred, but not far enough away to avoid everything they said.

"Uh, Sakura couldn't wake up," Antonio said nervously, sliding his shield onto his back. "So maybe she's really lost her—" Antonio put his hands over his chest. Arthur hushed him quickly as the soldier made an effort to at least keep himself quiet. Alfred laughed to himself, looking up at the night sky with a large grin on his face.

"I still can't believe it," he said outloud. "I really flew. Wait 'til I tell Sakura and Matt when I find them again. I wonder if they'll believe me. Probably not."

"You can bring them to Never Land sometime," Peter Pan suggested. Alfred looked over at him. "Then they can try it themselves." Alfred nodded.

"If you believe, you can do anything, right? I'll find Sakura. I'll save Matthew. I know I will. There's so much I want to tell them—about flying, the pirates, and everything else that's happened." Alfred looked up at the stars. Tinker Bell flew in and spoke to Peter.

"What's that, Tink? What about the clock tower? You say there's something there?" The three exchanged a look. Looks like their mission in Neverland wasn't over yet.

* * *

The four flew off the ship away from Neverland to a quaint city where the moon is shining brightly over the large clock tower. They flew over to the clock tower. Inside, Wendy sat there, waiting for them. She stood up as they landed. Soon, the clock struck midnight and the Keyhole appeared, shining bright enough to be seen from a distance, flashing between the two and three on the clock.

"Keyhole!" Alfred said as they flew out to meet it. The boy summoned and aimed his Keyblade at it. A bright beam shot out from the end, shooting into the Keyhole. There was a click, and the hole was sealed. It glowed and disappeared, releasing something from it. Antonio shot downward, catching the objects in his hands. He flew back up to the others, showing them what he caught. It was a Navigation piece.

"How…?" Arthur said in confusion. Alfred laughed, spinning around in the air.

"Who cares?" he said. "We can new places!"

"Can we go?" asked Antonio. "We have to find our ship. We also need to find wherever Hollow Bastion is. That's where they are." Alfred nodded.

* * *

After searching the pirate ship for what seemed like an hour, the Trinity finally found their ship stuck in the cargo hold. It took another hour to get it out and ready to fly.

Alfred sat in his seat aboard the ship, rolling the navigation piece between his fingers.

"Well, we found the Navi-Gummi piece," said Arthur as he took control of the ship, "Let's go back to Traverse Town so we can have it installed."

"Yeah…" Alfred muttered. "Maybe we can get to Hollow Bastion. I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to find out what's been going on. And to smack around whoever took our friends away from us."

* * *

In the darkened castle from which was the main point to Hollow Bastion, Matthew Williams was kneeling on the floor. The only light being a window in the ceiling, casting a dim glow upon him. His mind was clouded in a haze, and his body was weaker than it had been before. He was gagging on nothing, his stomach trying to throw up its contents. He was doused in a cold sweat. The darkness was starting to take its toll on his body.

Matthew drew in a sharp breath, trying his best to stand. His legs gave out from under him. He fell on the floor once more. He was stuck on all fours until this feeling wore off. Glancing upward, he could see Maleficent was standing over him, looking down on him with dominating eyes.

"It was reckless to bring her here without at least using a vessel," she said, ridiculing the boy for his earlier action that had brought him to this point. "Remember, relying too heavily on the dark powers could cost you your heart."

Suddenly, a booming roar resounded from outside the castle. Matthew stumbled to his feet, grateful that he had enough strength to stand. He looked over at the direction the noise came from.

"What was that?" he asked.

"A castaway." Matthew narrowed his eyes, confused as to what the witch was talking about.

"A castaway?" he repeated, looking back over at Maleficent. She was smiling about something. He felt like it couldn't be good.

"Though his world perished, his heart did not," Maleficent explained. "When we took the princess from his castle, he apparently followed her here through sheer force of will. But fear not. No harm will come to you. He is no match for your power." Matthew was now far more confused than he had been in the past few minutes.

"My power?"

"Yes, the untapped power that lies within you. Now, it's time you awakened that power and realized your true potential." Matthew's eyes widened a little.

"Maleficent, wait. I don't-" Matthew was cut off by a green aura surrounded him. An unholy scream rang out from him, echoing throughout Hollow Bastion.


	16. To Help a Friend

**Chapter Sixteen: To Help a Friend**

* * *

The three returned to Traverse Town and gave their ship to Eduard in order to have the new navigation system installed. It was going to take as long as it did before, but Alfred was impatient. He knew that this latest navigation gummi would be the key to finding everything they had been searching for. The key to finding Sakura and saving Matthew.

He walked back and forth across his room in the hotel, his mind racing as fast as his heart was beating. He stopped. Alfred ran his hands through his hair, growling in frustration.

"I can't wait any longer!" he yelled to no one. "How long has it been?!" He looked over at the nightstand. On there was a clock. It had only been thirty minutes.

"Gah!" He swiped the contents off of the table, sending everything to the floor. He threw himself onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow.

Alfred remained still until there was a light tap on the door. He groaned, sitting up.

"It's open!" he called out. The door opened. The sorcerer Vladimir entered the room. He seemed overly excited about something.

"Hello Alfred," said Vladimir as he walked up to Alfred's bedside.

"Hey. What's up?"

"I finished it." Alfred watched Vladimir sit down on the bed. He raised an eyebrow.

"Finished what?" he asked. From the confines of his cloak, Vladimir produced a leather-bound book. The same book Alfred had delivered to him just days ago. Alfred took it in his hands.

"It took me several hours, six days, and about thirty thousand paper cuts to find and repair it." Vladimir held his hands inside of his cloak.

"Why are you bringing this to me?"

"You asked to see it first when I was done, remember?" Alfred nodded slowly as the memory came back to him. "Well? What are you waiting for? Open it!"

Alfred eased the buckled out of its lock. The book flipped open instantly, it's pages flapping wildly. Light danced in Alfred's vision. It pulled him into the book. It dropped on the bed, laying wide open for the world to see.

* * *

As soon as Alfred hit the ground, he took off running. He had to see if Vladimir repairing the book did anything.

Alfred ended up reaching a house built into a tree. Above the door of the house was hung an odd sign reading "MR. SANDERZ" with a backwards N. Next to it is a bell with a misspelled note reading "Rnig also". Alfred entered the house, seeing the yellow bear he knew as Pooh gazing inside a honey pot. He laughed a bit to himself. He was glad Pooh was alright.

"Oh, bother. There's no more honey left. If only the Hunny Tree would visit…" Pooh said to himself, without realizing that Alfred was with him. "Then I could eat my fill." He stood up and left the house. Alfred followed after, curious about what he was going to do.

To Alfred's surprise, he followed the bear to a tall, curious tree buzzing with bees.

"Hello, i-is anyone there?" a small voice stuttered. Alfred turned around in the direction of the voice. From inside a log nearby, a small piglet walks out, looking around nervously.

"Wh-Wh-What am I to do? I'm all alone," the piglet suttered. "Pooh? Pooh? Where are you? It's me, Piglet." He turned around as Alfred walked over to him. He looks up to see the boy towering over him and ran away behind the tree. Alfred dropped his guard as the piglet peeked out from its trunk, checking to see if Alfred was gone. Alfred moved around to the other side of the tree, sneaking up behind him. The piglet stood frozen in place, completely terrified. "Oh dear! I was j-just... N-Never mind. I'm sorry!" Piglet closed his eyes. Alfred laughed before getting down to his level. If it worked on small children, maybe it could work this way as well.

"Don't be scared," he said, trying to soften his voice. "You're looking for Pooh, right?"

"You know Pooh?" Piglet sighed with relief. Alfred smiled. Now he was getting somewhere. "Oh, y-you see, I-I have something for him. I have to take it to Pooh right away!" He turned. Alfred looked up to follow his gaze. Winnie the Pooh was walking towards the tree.

"Oh, Pooh!" Piglet called out as he ran to meet the bear, who began sniffing the air with a smile.

"Oh, I believe I smell a delicious something—a something like honey!" Poh said excitedly.

"Pooh!" Piglet ran up to his friend at the tree.

"Hello, Piglet. How have you been?" asked Pooh. It was if Piglet had never disappeared in the first place.

"Oh, I-I'm so glad to see you. I thought you'd gone away. I brought wh-what you asked for." From out of somewhere on his person, Piglet gave a blue balloon to to Pooh. Alfred looked at the piglet curiously. This wasn't Wonderland. How the hell did he have that thing?

"Thank you, Piglet," said Pooh to his friend. "Now I can finally have some honey."

"Really? B-But how?" Piglet stuttered.

"I shall hold on to the balloon, and fly like a bee up the Hunny Tree, see."

"But if you take their honey, won't the bees be angry?"

"Hmm…" Pooh stared at the balloon. Alfred could practically see the gears turning in the bear's head. "Oh!" After seeing this, Alfred finally got up from where he was and walked over to them. "If you could only chase away those bees, I'm quite certain I could get a small morsel of honey." Pooh took notice of Alfred. "Would you help me get some honey?" Alfred looked towards the top of the tree. Holy crap, that was tall.

"Sure," said Alfred. "I think I can make it." Alfred bent down, tying the balloon around Pooh's waist. He picked up the bear. "One, two three!" Alfred threw Pooh up into the air. He watched as Pooh floated up the tree, gathering honey as he went. He laughed a bit before looking down at Piglet.

"Do you think you can take care of him?" The piglet nodded. "Great. Thanks!" He walked off and away from the tree. Pooh was fine. Everything in the book seemed fine now.

* * *

But Alfred found one question was now praying on his mind. How was he going to get out of here?

Alfred walked on and on around the 100 Acre Wood. He had come to the conclusion that he was trapped in a book after several failed attempts to escape. He couldn't be here now. The ship could be ready any minute! He was the hero of the Keyblade. He needed to save his family and protect his friends. He had to be there. When they found Sakura and saved Matthew, Alfred's face was the first he wanted them to see.

Alfred snapped out of his thoughts as he ran into a wooden post of a bridge. He looked around. He had walked pretty far. He crossed over the bridge. On the other side was a vegetable patch, as well as a large tree. With a smirk, Alfred walked up to the tree. There was a door on it. Maybe someone else was here too. He reached for the door, but a voice stopped him.

"Nobody's home!" said someone from inside the house. "And I'm out of honey!"

"What…?" Alfred muttered to himself before hearing voices on the other side of the tree. There were Piglet and Pooh. They were staring in through a hole in a burrow beneath a sign reading "RABBiT'S HOWSE". Piglet saw Alfred looking at them. Alfred came around, greeting the two.

"Look, Rabbit's house c-came back!" Piglet stuttered with excitement. "But it looks like Rabbit isn't home. Pooh's been calling and calling, but the house says no one's there."

"Nobody's home?" Pooh called out into the hole,

"That's right, Nobody!" replied the voice inside the burrow. Alfred laughed a bit before glancing at the way he came.

"You guys stay here," he said before heading back around towards the door. This time, he entered it. He leaned against the wall. Pooh was climbing inside the burrow, with Piglet following closely behind. A yellow rabbit inside the burrow sighed as they came in.

"Hello, Rabbit!" said Pooh to the rabbit.

"Why, P-Pooh. What a pleasant surprise... Nice to see you, too, Piglet. And…" said Rabbit before turning and spotting Alfred at the door. "Is this a new friend? P-Pooh,

I'm sorry, but... I'm all out of honey at the moment."

"Don't worry," Alfred told him. "I'm not-" Alfred was cut off when he spotted Pooh walking around the room, sniffing the air.

"Alfred, do you smell honey?" he asked. Alfred inhaled, catching the scent Pooh was describing on his nostrils. He followed it to find a pot hanging from a tree root that was going through the ceiling.

"It could be this," he said as he reached up and pulled it down. The word honey was written crudely on it, as well as being misspelled as H-U-N-N-Y.

"H-Honey? Now, how did that get up there?" Rabbit said. He almost sounded nervous. Alfred brushed it off as it just being his character. "Would you like some Pooh? Don't feel you have to, of course."

"Oh, thank you, Rabbit. I would like just a small smackeral," said Pooh. Alfred handed him the pot. "I'm quite hungry." Pooh sat down at the table eating from the honey pot.

"Um, Pooh Bear…" Pooh ate. "You're not eating the whole pot, are you?" And ate. "Once you start, there's no stopping you, is there…" And ate. In Alfred's mind, it was about as much as he himself had eaten at the last summer celebration he had been to that didn't end with the entire world being destroyed by the Darkness and Heartless and whatnot.

Rabbit's expression dropped as Pooh finished off the honey pot.

"Ohh... Out of honey again." Alfred laughed a bit under his breath. He turned a left the burrow.

Alfred wasn't that far from Pooh and the others when he felt a little something bump into his leg. He turned and looked down. It was Piglet. Alfred got down to his level. He seemed worried about something.

"What's wrong?" Alfred asked.

"H-Help! Please help Pooh!" Alfred stood up.

"Oh dear god, what did he do?" he muttered to himself as he followed Piglet back inside the burrow.

* * *

When he re-entered the burrow, Alfred felt like facepalming himself. He was staring at only half of Pooh, as the rest of him was stuck in the hole in the wall. He muttered a few choice things under his breath, making sure that they weren't heard.

"Oh, wh-what to do?" said Piglet.  
"All this because he can't stop liking honey so much!" Rabbit complained. Alfred sighed.

"Let's not blame this on his eating habits," he said. "Dude likes honey. Give him a break."

"Oh, how will I eat honey if I'm stuck here?" Pooh's muffled voice said from the other side of the wall. "When it's lunch time, perhaps you could bring me a honey jar."

"Pooh, no."

"No honey 'til you're unstuck!" Rabbit added. Alfred sighed.

"Well, if anyone has any ideas, I'm up for them." Rabbit perked his head up, with his ears pointed upwards. "You got a plan?"

"A bit of carrot top juice will do the trick!" Rabbit suggested. "I have a carrot patch on the other side of the stream. Carrot top juice is just the ticket to slimming down a Pooh!"

* * *

The three left the burrow, heading for the garden patch. Rabbit released a shout as soon as he saw it. He ran ahead, Alfred following. Upon arriving, Alfred saw a stuffed tiger bouncing into the area. The tiger jumped onto the bridge, destroying it, and bouncing over to Alfred. Rabbit ran over to see the damage and lowered his ears. Alfred couldn't see what had happened. The tiger had tackled Alfred, surprisingly knocking him over and laughing as his tail uncurled behind him. Alfred laughed as well.

"Hey, there! Name's Tigger!" said the tiger. "T-I-double-guh-RR. That spells Tigger!" Alfred laughed again as Tigger looked over to him, standing on him in the process. "Well, now! I don't think I've ever seen you before!"

"I'm Alfred," said Alfred, "I'm Pooh's friend."

"Say, Alfred, you're lookin' mighty uncomfy today. Is that some new exercise? Why, bouncin' around is a lot more fun." Tigger leapt off of Alfred. Alfred stood up with another laugh, brushing the dirt off of his clothes.

"Why do you bounce around so much, Tigger?" Alfred asked the tiger.

"Why? 'Cause bouncin' is what Tiggers do best!" Tigger put a paw to his forehead as he began looking around. "Speaking of which, my bouncin' spot has gone and disappeared! So for now, this'll be my new bouncin' ground." He laughed and bounced away towards Rabbit's garden. Alfred ran over towards it.

"Tigger's bouncing will ruin my vegetables! And if we don't give Pooh some carrot top juice, he'll be stuck forever," Rabbit said in dismay before turning to Alfred.

"Please help me! Keep Tigger away from my carrots!"

"I got it!" Alfred ran over into the carrot patch, where Tigger was bouncing all over. Alfred really wished his strength was switched out for speed. Tigger was faster than he expected. In the time he had, Tigger managed to push a good deal of the carrots into the ground.

Alfred leapt forward, wrapping his arms around the tiger. As he stood up, Tigger managed to get out of Alfred's grip. Tigger danced around the area. Alfred opened his mouth to tell the tiger something, but Tigger spoke before he could.

"How about those bounceroonies? They were good even for a Tigger," said Tigger before he laughed and bounced away.

Alfred had seen many things in his lifetime, and even with all the things that had happened to him recently, what had just happened was incredibly strange.

Alfred grabbed one of the carrots out of the ground as he left the patch. He handed it to Rabbit.

"Thank you so much. Now I'd better make that carrot top juice," said Rabbit with joy. "Please wait inside the house."

Alfred and Piglet both headed back inside the burrow, waiting patiently for Rabbit to return. He came back a few minutes later. He looked happy for once in the short time Alfred had known him.

"Oh, what a day! I gave Pooh the carrot top juice," Rabbit said happily. "All we have to do now is push him out. Just a little push should do." Alfred stood up, cracking his fingers.

"I got this!" he said. Alfred rushed over the other side of the hole, facing Pooh's front. Alfred took a step back before rushing forward. He tackled Pooh out of the wall. This was immediately regretted, as the force of the push sent Pooh flying backwards. He landed into a pile of honey pots. Alfred cringed as Piglet covered his eyes while Rabbit was in shock.

"First my vegetable patch and now this…" Pooh, meanwhile, sat up, a honey pot stuck over his head.

"Oh, bother. Where am I?" Pooh said to himself. "It's ever so dark in here. Well, it isn't so bad, I suppose. There is plenty of honey." Alfred laughed weakly before backing away slowly.

"I'll just be on my way now…" he said before heading off in the other direction. This was one sticky situation that he didn't want to be blamed for. Even if it was him that pushed Pooh out of the hole in the first place.

* * *

Alfred walked around the wood, muttering to himself about the Heartless, Hollow Bastion, and his brother. He wasn't meant to be here. He had to find a way out. There wasn't much time.

Alfred was pulled away from his thoughts when he caught sight for Pooh and Piglet once again. They were on a bridge, overlooking a small river. He walked over to them, bending down a bit to see what they were looking at.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" he asked the two. They remained silent to his question.

"Look, Pooh. Something is floating this way," said Piglet.

"I think you're right, Piglet. What could it be?" Pooh added. A gray donkey floated slowly along the current of the river, a glum expression on its face. Alfred raised an eyebrow. This was getting weird.

"Why, it looks like Eeyore!" Pooh said with a wave. "Hello, Eeyore, if it is you." The donkey, Eeyore, floats towards the bridge.

"Hello, Pooh. Yes, it's me," Eeyore said glumly. "Could you pull me out? That is, if it's not too much trouble. Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to." He drifted under the bridge.

"I'll get him," Alfred said before jumping over the edge of the bridge. The water wasn't that deep, only going up to his knees. He bent down under the bridge,taking Eeyore in his arms and pulling him up to the river bank. Piglet and Pooh went over to meet

"Thank you, Pooh," said Eeyore as they reached the riverbank. "Thank you, other you. You know, floating along out there, it seemed like something was missing…" Piglet ran behind Eeyore. "And something's still missing."

"Why, Eeyore's tail is gone!" Piglet pointed out. "Is that what's missing?" Eeyore looked behind him.

"Let's see... Yep, lost it again. Wonder where it went this time. It's not much of a tail, though I'm sort of attached to it. But I don't know why anybody'd look for it. Probably won't find it anyway…" Pooh looked up at Alfred.

"Alfred, why don't we all look for Eeyore's tail?" he asked. Alfred looked over at the donkey before nodding. He needed something to get his mind off of the nagging feeling of what he was about to face later on.

* * *

Pooh and Alfred walked around the 100 Acre Wood, searching for the tail that Eeyore lost. And they had no luck whatsoever. They almost stopped when a voice from above spoke.

"Lost something?" Alfred looked up. Above the pair was a brown owl. "Searching from a high place is the quickest way to find it!"

"Owl, can you fly up high and help us find Eeyore's tail?" Alfred asked the owl. "It would be a big help.

"Sorry, but my eyes aren't what they used to be," said Owl. Alfred groaned in his throat. "Too much reading, you know. But I can offer good advice! Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to. See that swing up there?" Alfred looked forward as Owl motioned towards a tree on a hill nearby. Tied to the tree was a tire swing.

"Take Pooh there. You're a bit too big for the swing, but Pooh should fit nicely."

The owl flew away. Alfred lead Pooh up the hill to the swing. Pooh got on the swing.

"Sorry if this goes a little bit… too far," said Alfred as he pushed Pooh on the swing. Once again, Alfred's strength had gotten the best of him. When Alfred pushed the swing. Pooh was tossed into the air so he can search for Eeyore's tail from high above. Alfred muttered under his breath.

"Oh no…" he said before rushing to where Pooh had landed. He ran up and over to another hill. There were Rabbit, Eeyore and Pooh. By the looks of it, Pooh had landed right in front of Rabbit on a house made of sticks, knocking Eeyore over. Pooh stood up. A curious look crossed Alfred's face as he did. There was something under the sticks. Apparently, Eeyore had spotted it too.

"Hm? That looks familiar… " Eeyore said. Alfred walked over to the sticks, brushing them away enough to pull the object out of the pile. It was a gray tail with a pink ribbon tied around it. Alfred laughed a bit.

"Hey, look what I found," he said as he held up the tail. "Eeyore, c'mere." The donkey walked over to the boy. Alfred repinned Eeyore's tail onto him.

"How's it looking?" Pooh asked as Alfred worked. The boy smiled as he finished.

"There we go," he said as Eeyore swung his tail around.

"It's not much of a tail, but it's mine. Thanks, everyone," said Eeyore. He sounded a little happier than he usually did. Alfred stood up, grinning.

"No problem, dude," he said. "I'll just be on my way then. Later!" As Alfred walked away to find the exit, he heard Pooh say one last thing.

"I wish we could put the Hundred Acre Wood back the way it was, too!"

* * *

Alfred walked on until he arrived at a clearing crowded with tree stumps, where Tigger and a young kangaroo were practicing their bouncing. Owl flew in overhead as Alfred sees a giant honey pot in the center of the clearing. Alfred walked over to the seesaw where Tigger and the kangaroo were bouncing.

"Hey, Tigger," Alfred said as he greeted the two. "What's going on?"

"This here is my bouncin' spot!" Tigger said excitedly. "We can bounce around here all day!"

"Nothing beats bouncin'!" the kangaroo added with equal enthusiasm.

"You wanna bounce, too, Alfred? It's lotsa fun!" Alfred shrugged.

"Okay, I guess," he answered. "Got nothing better to do."

"Bounce this way, please!" Tigger jumped onto a nearby tree stump. The kangaroo followed him. Alfred joined them, and Tigger faced the course of tree stumps.

"Here's a little warm-up," said Tigger. Tigger and the kangaroo began hopping along the tree stumps to a cliff at the other end of the clearing. Alfred jumped from stump after stump after them in the same pattern before they return to the original stump.

"Now it gets tricky!" Tigger and the kangaroo bounced along a different pattern, and Alfred triumphed again.

"You're doin' fantastical! This'll be the last one." The kangaroo jumped over to the seesaw, followed by Tigger. The child bounced on his side of the seesaw, sending Tigger up into the tree above them. Tigger bounced from the tree onto the tree stumps and back across to the cliff. Alfred sighed, rubbing his hands together. This was going to be difficult. He repeated the pattern as best he could. Tigger bounced with glee as he finished.

"You've gotten mighty good at bouncin', Alfred! Right, Roo?" The kangaroo, Roo, nodded.

"Hey, Tigger! I think he's ready for the big one!" said Roo. Alfred raised an eyebrow. Big one?

"Well, there's only one way to find out," said Tigger. He bounced in the giant honey pot without warning. Nuts were tossed as Alfred, who ducked under them.

"Hey!" Alfred smacked away the nuts coming at him, allowing them to ricochet back at the pot. With each nut, a crack would appear in the pot until it grew bigger and bigger. Finally, the pot shattered and freed Tigger. Tigger bounced out, laughing. Alfred sighed.

"Thanks for that, dude," he said weakly. "But, I gotta go. There's something I need to look for…" The boy turned and left without another word.

* * *

Alfred wandered on and on through the wood. The sun was beginning to set in the horizon. How long had he been in here? He sighed.

"I'm never going to get out of here, am I?" he muttered to himself. He looked up from the ground, coming to a stop at a winding, muddy path. There was Pooh, wandering in circles around a bramble bush. His footprints trailed him in the mud.

"What are you doing, Pooh?" Alfred asked the bear, walking over to him with curiosity. Pooh pressed a finger to his own lips.

"Shh. Quiet, or they'll get away!" he whispered.

"Who?"

"The people who took everyone away." Alfred turned stiff. "See their footprints? We were all sticking together to make sure no one got lost again. But then, I saw some footprints that needed following. So I did. Suddenly, everyone was gone. Bad people must have taken them away!" Alfred laughed a bit at the last notion.

"Actually, Pooh, I think those footprints are... um…" he trailed off at his sentence. He really didn't want to tell the bear the truth. "Anyway, I'll help you look for your friends." Pooh continued to walk in circles. Alfred sighed as he walked over towards the bear. He failed to noticed his untied laces. Alfred tripped over his own two feet, landing in the bramble bush. However, he hit something soft. Alfred got to his feet before pulling out whatever it was. It was Eeyore.

"Eeyore?" Alfred said with shock.

"Hello," Eeyore said simply.

"What are you doing?"

"Lookin' for sticks to build my house… again."

"Sticks for your house?" Alfred looked around.

"This place already feels like a house…" He grinned. "Seems like a great spot to gather everyone once we find them."He stood up. "Eeyore, you wait here. We'll be right back."

* * *

Alfred lead Pooh around the muddy path, looking for his friends. During this, they came across a well. Inside the well, there wasn't water. There was a strong wind coming out of it instead. Alfred walked over to it, leaning over the well a bit. Unfortunately, that was enough to lift him into the air and toss him to the top of the cliff. Alfred groaned as he hit the ground. He got to his feet. All the pain left him as he spotted a familiar figure not too far away. It was Tigger, bouncing on a log. He ran down to him, waving to get his attention.

"Tigger!" Alfred shouted, "Over here!" He stopped in front of him. "Where'd you bounce off to, buddy? Pooh's looking for you."

"I saw Pooh walkin' away, so I bounced after him!" Tigger explained. "Then I bounced a bit too high, and I lost sight of ol' Pooh Bear!"

"I know where Pooh is. Follow me."

Alfred lead Tigger back to the bramble bush. From the bush, he caught sight of another person. Roo was on top of a tree root. Catching sight of the boy, he bounced down towards him.

"I tried bouncin' as high as Tigger," Roo said after Alfred had asked him where he was. "I was so busy tryin' to bounce, I forgot to watch where I was bouncin'!" Alfred nodded.

"It's alright, kid," he said. "Come on. I'll take you to Tigger."

Alfred lead Roo back to the bush to join the others. He headed off again, searching through the wood for the other denizens. He climbed the cliff again. Down below, he spotted Piglet hiding under a tree. He jumped down before walked towards the piglet and getting down to his level.

"Hello, Piglet. So this is where you've been," he said. Piglet didn't come out."Maybe I should bring Pooh along. Maybe he could get you to come out." Nearby, Owl had landed. Alfred called out to him before he could fly off again.

"Hey, Owl," said Alfred. "Where'd you fly off too?"

"I thought I'd better have a word with Roo about his bouncing," the bird explained. "The next thing I knew, quite to my surprise, I was lost, too!" Alfred nodded.

"He's over at the bush with Tigger and Eeyore." Alfred couldn't say anything else as Owl flew off again in the direction of the bush.

* * *

Alfred walked around, and eventually spotted Pooh in a patch of flowers. Pooh grabs the flowers. They lure a group of butterflies, which carry Pooh up to the top of the cliff. Alfred sighed as he walked back over the cliff.

As he approached, Alfred got sight of Rabbit going in and out of holes in the cliff. He spotted when the boy walked towards him.

"What are you doing?" Alfred asked.

"Owl looked so intent on something, well, I just had to follow him!" said Rabbit. "But then Owl flew off into the sky, and there I was, all by myself." He nodded, before he and Piglet took Rabbit to the bramble bush. Alfred headed back to the cliff.

"Hey Pooh!" he called out to the bear. "I found someone! Follow me!"

* * *

Alfred lead Pooh over the log to the cliff on the other side, knocking down a bee's nest in the way, and up to the tree where Piglet was hiding. Pooh walked under the tree and talked to Piglet from the log he was in.

"Hello, Piglet," said Pooh to his friend.

"Pooh! Where are we?" said Piglet from the log.

"I don't know where we are either, Piglet. But if we go back the way we came, we should find home." Piglet appeared in a hole at the bottom of the cliff.

"I got scared when everyone disappeared, so I hid." Alfred smiled softly.

"You don't have to be scared," he said as the three walked back to the bush. "Your friends will always be there to find you."

* * *

When they arrived, everyone was waiting for them. Alfred felt a warm feeling in his heart. The 100 Acre Wood was full again.

"Everyone's here!" said Pooh. And this time, Alfred decided not to walk away. He stayed with everyone. After all, it was better to be with friends than to be alone.

* * *

As it got darker outside, everyone that was gathered at the bush walked over a nearby hill. Stars twinkled brightly in the night sky above. Everyone sat down, looking up at the stars.

"I'm so glad we're all together again," Piglet said with a laugh. "I didn't know what to do when I was all alone."

"Aw, Piglet, you gotta be brave," Tigger told him.

"You weren't lonely at all?"

"Lonely? Are you kiddin'? I'm a Tigger! The most wonderful thing about Tiggers is I'm the only one. But I do admit, friends are awfully fun, too!" Alfred grinned. Tigger was right. Friends were pretty great.

His smile faded when something caught the corner of his eye. It was a bright, white light in the distance. It clicked. That was his way back. Alfred stood up.

"Well, I'm off," said Alfred as he looked up at the stars. He walked down towards the light. He looked back when a voice called out to him.

"Alfred, where are you going?" called out Piglet.

"I'm gonna go look for my friend and save my brother," Alfred said. "I gotta get back to my friends. They're waiting for me. Maybe we can get home together somehow. Don't worry. I'll be back. I promise."

"Bounce on back again!" Tigger said happily.

"I hope you find your brother!" Piglet added.

"Thanks, guys," said Alfred before walking away and down the path towards the light. He stood in front of the glow, bathed in its warmth. He looked back at the 100 Acre Wood gang. They were waving at him. Alfred waved back before walking into the light. Pooh's voice echoed in his head, giving him one last goodbye.

"Alfred, don't forget... We shall always be here. If you'd like to visit again, that is."

* * *

Alfred's eyes fluttered open. He was sitting on the bed in his room. Vladimir was standing over him.

"How'd everything go?" he asked when Alfred sat up. Alfred felt himself smile as he placed a hand over his heart.

"Everything there is fine now," he said. "They're okay." Vladimir smiled as he picked up the book. His smiled grew into a smirk when he handed it back to Alfred.

"I think you made a great impact on them." Alfred looked down at the book. He was now on the cover, holding hands with Pooh and Piglet as Tigger bounced along with them. He latched the book closed. He gave it back to Vladimir.

"Can you take care of it for me?" he asked. "I don't want it getting damaged when I leave." Vladimir nodded.

"I will. And good luck on the rest of your journey."

"Thank you." With the memories of recent events echoing in his mind Alfred left the room.

* * *

Alfred stood out in Traverse Town, his memories playing back in his head as he headed who knows where. He sighed. Luck? He needed it. After all he had been through, he had let his brother go. He broke his promise. He should have been there. It should have been him. Not Matthew. He should have been able to grab him back on the beach.

"Alfred!" called out a voice to snap him out of his thoughts. He whipped around as Antonio and Arthur came towards him.

"No frowning, no sad faces," Antonio said, reminding him of what the Gummi Ship ran on. "Please smile! You look to upset."

"How can you be so cheerful?" Alfred asked the soldier. "There's still no sign of your sister or anyone else. Aren't you worried?" Arthur hummed a bit in agreement.

"Right… I almost forgot about that," he muttered.

"Our king told us to go out and find the keys, and we found you," Antonio said, trying to sound cheerful. "So as long as we stick together, it'll all work out okay. You just got to believe in yourself, that's all."

"Just believe…" Alfred repeated. He closed his eyes as two voices resonated in his head.

 _We believe in you._

* * *

A bright light appeared in Alfred's vision. He opened his eyes. Slowly, a hallway began to fade in around him. He looked around at his surroundings. The place was filled with windows. Night had fallen, with the only light that allowed Alfred to see came from streetlamps and the moon. The boy floated in the air.

"Where am I?" Alfred said to himself. He floated around. He came across an opened door. He slid inside. Books were piled high on shelves. Under a staircase was a small table. A young girl rested her head on it, sleeping peacefully. Her long black hair fanned out around her, obscuring Alfred's view of her face. A book was open beside her. She was using a piece of paper with horribly written English as a pillow. There was a small candle that provided the only light in the room. It had become a simple nub. Alfred floated down next to the girl.

"Hey, kid," Alfred whispered. He went to put a hand on her shoulder. His eyes widened when it when right through her. "What… Am I… am I a ghost?!"

Alfred was pulled away from his small moment of panic when he heard the door creak open behind him. He turned as a dark-haired woman entered the room. Her dress barely trailed the floor. She crossed over to the girl. Alfred hovered on the opposite side of her as the woman brushed the girl's hair out of her face. She gently shook her shoulder, effectively waking her from her slumber. The girl sat up, rubbing a fist in her eyes.

"Young lady, I don't believe this is your bedroom," said the woman. The girl looked down at her feet. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Be happy that is was me who found you and not anyone else."

"I-" The girl began to say before she was shushed by the woman.

"I know you've been working hard. And you're making good progress in your studies." The woman held out her hand. "But now is the time for you to sleep." The girl took her hand and slid out of her chair. The woman blew out the candle as she lead the child from the library. Alfred followed them.

The boy floated a few feet behind them. A loud crash from farther down made the girl jump. She clung to the woman's dress. The woman placed a hand on her hair.

"Little one, what's wrong?" she asked the girl. "What scared you?" The girl peered down the darkened hallway. The woman sighed.

"You're afraid of the dark…" she whispered. The girl nodded. The woman sighed again before she got down on her knees. She ran a hand through the girl's hair.

"Scared…" the girl said, her tone barely audible.

"There's nothing that can hurt you." The girl looked up at her with a curious look. Alfred floated closer.

"How?" The woman smiled a bit.

"There's an old story I was told when I was a child. Because of it, I'm no longer afraid of the darkness."

"Can you speak it?" The woman nodded before complying to her request. She and the girl continued walking again.

"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light," the woman recited. "Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared. But small fragments of light survived… in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open. And the true light will return. So, listen, little one. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away." She looked down at the girl as they came to a stop at a door.

"Do you understand, Sakura?"

Alfred blinked as the last sentence was spoken. The world began to fade around him again.

"Sakura!?" he said in surprise. He flew over to the other side, providing a clear view of the girl's facial features. He blinked again as everything faded away.

"Alfred!"

* * *

Alfred snapped back to reality and opened his eyes. Standing before him were Arthur and Antonio.

"Huh?" Alfred breathed out.

"What's the matter?" asked Antonio. "You just… uh… 'zoned out' as you put it." Alfred shook his head, clearing it of any remnants of what he saw.

"Um, nothing... I'm fine," he said. "Let's just get our ship back from Eduard."

' _That was her memory… Did she call out to me?_ ' Alfred walked along the road, following after Arthur and Antonio ' _But why me? And who was that woman? That wasn't her mom… Sakura, I thought I knew you. I'm starting to think I was wrong_.' Alfred, Arthur and Antonio were lead to their ship.

"I installed that navigation gummi," said Eduard. "But that place is crawling with Heartless. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"It's alright," Arthur said as they boarded "We know what we're doing." The three boarded the ship, heading for the one world they had yet to charter.

But what they were about to meet, was something they were not prepared for.


	17. Betrayed

**Chapter Seventeen: Betrayed**

* * *

Alfred was more than anticipated for the Trinity's arrival at Hollow Bastion. He was practically bouncing in his seat on the Gummi Ship all the way there. When the ship landed, he took no time in rushing out to greet the terrain of this strange world that was holding someone he cared about captive.

Alfred walked across a tiled platform. The sound of water cascaded around him from waterfalls strangely falling in reverse. Baby blues danced around the ruins of Hollow Bastion.

"Look at that!" Antonio said in amazement as he exited the ship. A small zap ignited inside of Alfred's brain.

"I know this place…" he muttered. "I think." The Trinity walked along the tiled platform.

Eventually, they stood before a ruined castle in the distance. It had been twisted by the darkness, most likely becoming a warped shadow of what it used to be.

"Hmm, that's strange," said Antonio as he looked at the castle. "Why is it different from the rest of the place?"

"I wonder why…" Alfred added. Another zap crossed through him. He put a hand over his chest. "I feel this warmth inside, right here," he muttered.

"You're most likely just hungry," Arthur commented.

"Hey, I'm being serious!" Alfred was cut off by a loud roar making him and Antonio jump. It echoed from a few yards ahead. Alfred ran towards it, out of pure curiosity.

"Alfred!" shouted Arthur as he and Antonio went after the youngest member of their party.

* * *

The sound of footsteps echoed from the crystal platforms towards the origin of the roar that had sounded across the ravine. Matthew Williams stood in front of a mass in a purple cloak. From the hairy claws and tail protruding from the bottom of the cloak, it was undeniably animal.

"No vessel, no help from the Heartless…" the boy recited, stepping closer with a dark glint in his eyes. "So tell me, how'd you get here?" The beast stood on its hind legs as a if it were human, and it gazed upon Matthew with the same resolution as human eyes would, but the rest of its body, from its horns to its fangs to its claws, screamed otherwise. It began to speak, its voice low and rough.

"I simply believed. Nothing more to it," the beast answered. "When our world fell into darkness, Belle was taken from me. I vowed I would find her again no matter what the cost. I believed I would find her. So, here I am. She must be here. I will have her back!" Matthew laughed. It was dark, making it sound like Matthew had channeled someone else.

"Take her, if you can!" He withdrew his blade, intertwined with its overgrown roots, as the beast roared. It leapt up at Matthew. It swiped at him with its sharp claws, but Matthew jumped backward, dodging the attack completely. The beast's cloak settled to his side as Matthew landed on his feet. With lightning speed, Matthew charged forward at the beast.

Over on the end of the platform, Alfred and his companions had just arrived in time to see the beast fall to the ground with a stinging growl. Alfred ran forward with wide eyes, summoning his keyblade.

"Stop!" he shouted. Matthew looked over as the trio of Alfred, Arthur and Antonio approached. a dark smirk crossed his normally calm features.

"So, you finally made it. About time," he said snidely. "I've been waiting for you. We've always been rivals in some way, haven't we? You've always pushed me as I've always pushed you." Alfred came to a screeching stop. He stared at his brother the wide eyes.

"Matthew…" Alfred said in disbelief.

"But it all ends here. There can't be two Keyblade masters." Alfred looked at Matthew in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"You never were supposed to have the Keyblade." Matthew began walked towards them with his hand raised. "The Keyblade is mine." With a simple wave of his hand, the keyblade in Alfred hand turned ice cold. Alfred released it out of surprise. Before it clattered to the ground, it vanished in a flash of light. It reappeared in Matthew's hand. But something was off.

The keyblade had become black and white, icy branches wrapping around it like a virus. It wasn't Old Glory anymore.

"What!?" muttered Arthur. Matthew stared at the new blade as he stashed away his old one. He gazed up with a dark glint in his eyes.

"Maleficent was right. You don't have what it takes to save anyone," he said. "It's up to me. Only one person can open the door… and save our world from the darkness."

"But that's impossible. How the heck did this happen?" Alfred snapped. He was still furious and surprised about what had just happened. "I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade!"

"You were just…" Matthew smirked, "in the wrong place at the wrong time. Your part's over now." Alfred's legs buckled underneath him. Everything he had worked for. All of the things he had done. Was it really all for nothing?

Alfred dropped to his knees. Matthew turned, walking about with the deformed keyblade in hand. Arthur and Antonio joined him by his side.

"Antonio," said Arthur as he walked on forward. "Let's go. We have to remember our mission." A lump formed in Alfred's throat. What did he just say?"  
"Oh! Well, I know the king told us to protect the key and all... But…" said Antonio as he jogged up to join Arthur. He looked back at Alfred. Arthur turned back as well.

"Alfred," he said before pausing. "Sorry." He turned and walked way. Antonio looked after Alfred a little longer before following after Arthur. Alfred was alone.

* * *

How long Alfred had sat there, staring at the ground, he didn't know. All he could feel was the cold stone beneath his hands and the spray from the waterfall on his clothes. He only came to attention by a low growl behind him. Alfred got to his feet as he turned. He had almost forgotten that the Beast was there.

"Hey, don't move," said Alfred as he went over to him, "You're hurt." Alfred taken back when the Beast look over at him, his eyes intensely human.

"Why... Why did you...you come here?" The Beast growled. "I came to fight for Belle. The Beast looked up at the castle and stood up again. He started slowly walking ahead. "And though I am on my own, I will fight. I won't leave without her. That's why I'm here." Alfred glanced down at the palms of his hands. There were many callouses worn into them. He clenched his hands back together into balled up fists. His mind began running through every single moment of his life. Only one person had shown him an almost constant kindness. Someone he had long taken for granted. It was time he returned the compassion he had been shown. He walked over to the Beast's side.

"Me too. I'm not gonna give up now," he said with hope. "I came here to find someone very important to me. I came here to find my brother, and I'm not giving up until I do!"

* * *

With newfound resolve and courage, Alfred and the Beast journeyed their way up towards Hollow Bastion's castle. Mysterious gases swirled from pipes protruding from the castle. The center of its towers displayed a large Heartless emblem, shattered from the inside, the gears clearly visible from the platform. Mechanical cranes were built into all sides of the castle, though were largely rusted and overgrown, as if the innards of the castle themselves came alive and rooted themselves deeply across it's façade.

The rest of the world below the castle had become a barren crystalline wasteland and darkness waited at every corner. A switch activated as the two got closer and a pink light appeared at the castle. A magical line appeared toward them, bringing a metal platform with it, rigged to the line with electric sparks.

Alfred and the Beast walked onto the elevator, which took them up to Hollow Bastion Castle. Alfred tugged on the gates. The rusted doors didn't budge.

Alfred muttered several choice words under his breath as he tried to open the gates to no avail. Even when the Beast tried, nothing worked.

 _You have to go lower._

Alfred shook his head. He stared at the gates for a second. The voice was too different to be the Beast's. It wasn't even the sound his conscience made.

He sighed, leaning against the gate.

 _It is right there!_

Alfred sighed again, looking over at what was directly right of them. He lifted his head. There was a crudely dug out tunnel. Near the entrance were words carved into the rock. They were faded away by time and unreadable.

 _Go down._

Alfred glanced back at the locked gates. He knew he had to get inside no matter what. And if this was the way…

He swallowed down the hot liquid that had been rising in his throat before walking down the cold stone steps.

Together, Alfred and the Beast descended into the tunnel. As it turned out, the passage had lead below the castle, into the dungeons. Whoever had built the place, had made the dungeons a complete maze.

Alfred could only hear the sound of dripping water and splashing as they made their way in the water. He groaned. He and the Beast were completely lost. It felt like they had been going in circles for hours. It might have been a few minutes. He didn't know.

Alfred came to a stop at yet another fork in the path. He sighed. This was going to take forever.

 _Left._

Alfred snapped to attention as the voice echoed in his head. He looked around. There was no one in there but him and the Beast. He stared at the fork in the road. The voice had been right before. Deciding to trust it, he took the left path.

 _Just keep going. I know you can do this._

Alfred shook his head. He was hearing things. It was common knowledge that hearing voices was not a good thing.

Alfred walked straight onward, coming to another divide in the path.

 _Head right._

Alfred shook his head. He wanted the voice to stop. It was all too familiar, and filling him with an overwhelming amount of guilt. He turned right.

* * *

On and on it went. Voices echoed in Alfred's mind, giving him directions on where he had to go and what he had to do. As he did, he began to notice something about them. One was kind, and compassionate. It seemed slower and gentler. But whatever the echoing voice was doing, it seemed to work.

Alfred and the Beast had finally made it towards the end of the dungeons. They climbed out of the caverns and began to wander aimlessly around the castle.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Grand Hall of Hollow Bastion, Jasmine, Alice, and the other princesses of heart were encased in crystal chambers on the sides of the room with the exception of one in the center, plastered against a raised platform. They all looked like they were soundly sleeping, caught in peaceful dreams.

The wicked witch Maleficent walked over an ornate carpet bearing the Heartless insignia toward a large open room, each footfall echoing in the vacant hall. Her fingers curled around her staff as she passes the capsule and ascends the stairs to the platform. Laying there was a still body. A girl that looked as peaceful as ever.

Maleficent whirled around to face the Princesses of Heart.

"O purest of hearts!" chanted the evil fairy, "Reveal to me the Keyhole!" She raised her arms dramatically. The hearts of the seven maidens lining the walls glow in unison and beams of pink light shine out from them. The seven meet at a point in the air over Sakura's body on the platform, pointing a trail of sparkles to a great heart in the room beyond. Maleficent watched the spectacle with an evil glint in her eye. She smiled.


	18. The Dragon in the Castle

**Chapter Eighteen: The Dragon in the Castle**

* * *

Alfred looked around the dark hall as he walked down it. His footsteps echoed loudly. He prayed silently in his mind that no one was around to hear them. Especially not any Heartless.

"Be on your guard. They're close, I can feel it," said the Beast in his rough voice. "Are you ready for them?" Alfred gave a short nod. Determination was pushing down the fact that he didn't have his Keyblade and had no way of stopping the Heartless.

"Belle?" said the Beast. Alfred stopped a little ahead of him and turned around. He couldn't make out much, but his eyes could see the faint image of a woman in a golden dress. The woman was surrounded in a cloud of darkness. The woman was replaced by a simple Heartless. The Beast roared loudly. He charged after the Heartless.

"No, wait-!" Alfred shouted but it was too late. The doors behind the Beast slammed shut, echoing throughout the hall. Alfred was alone again. He sighed. "Great…"

"Quit while you can," a smooth, dark voice called out from behind. Alfred turned again. It felt like something had stabbed him in the chest. At the other end of the hall were Matthew, Arthur and Antonio. Alfred felt his hands clench up.

"No," he stated firmly. "Not without Sakura! And not without you."

"The darkness will destroy you," said Matthew. As he spoke, thick tendrils of spiraling darkness erupted around Matthew, wrapping around him like a snake. Arthur and Antonio jumped back as the darkness slid off of Matthew's body. It seemed like the boy he once had been was entirely gone now. His clothes take on a darker quality, much like he would have dressed during war. His features had been warped into vicious being. His eyes held no trace of life, mercy or the person known as Matthew Williams.

Matthew's cold eyes narrowed as he looked at the boy he had used to call his brother. He was absolutely pleased. It was sickening.

"You're wrong, Matt," said Alfred. Matthew's expression fell to one of distaste and anger. "The darkness may destroy my body, but it can't touch my heart." Alfred's hand tightened over his chest. "My heart will stay with my friends. It'll never die!"

"Really…" Matthew's voice was hollow. "Well, we'll just see about that!" Matthew's hand glowed brightly with the power of darkness. He thrusted his hand forward. The darkness gathered at his finger tips in a bright ball of black flames. It shot forward, aiming directly for Alfred's chest and his heart. Alfred's arms flew up in order to protect himself. He braced for impact.

But it never came.

Alfred lowered his arms. Standing in front of him was Antonio. His shield was held out in front of him. There was a visible and audible fizzle from where it struck the metal.

"Alfred isn't going to go anywhere!" shouted Antonio.

"You would betray your own friend?" Matthew said full of malice.

"Not on my life!" Antonio said, "but I'm not going to betray Alfred, either, because he's become one of my close friends after all we've been through together!" He turned to look at Alfred, giving him a thumbs up and a smile. Alfred smiled back. Antonio turned back, waving at Matthew and Arthur.

"See you later, Arthur!" he shouted. "Could you tell the king I'm sorry?"

"Hold on, Antonio!" Arthur said before anything else could be done. "We'll tell him together!" Arthur ran over to the two of them. Alfred stared at him. There was a second of silence. "Well, you know… All for one and one for all." Alfred smiled brightly.

"I guess you're stuck with us, Alfred," said Antonio.

"Thanks a lot, guys," said Alfred before tackling the two of them with his arms.

"How will you fight without a weapon?" The trio parted from their happy union and looked over at Matthew.

"I know now I don't need the Keyblade," said Alfred confidently, "I've got a better weapon. My heart."

"Your heart?" said Matthew in surprise, "What good will that weak little thing do for you?"

"All though my heart may be weak, it's not alone. It's grown with each new experience, and it's found a home with all the friends I've made," said Alfred as he walked closer, "I've become a part of their heart just as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then… if they don't forget me… then our hearts will be one. I don't need a weapon." Determination and confidence flowed in the boy's veins. "My friends are my power!"

A bright flash illuminated from the center of the room. The white light hung in the air for a split moment. It whizzed around the room and struck Alfred in the heart.

"Alfred!" cried out Antonio and Arthur.

Another flash appeared from Alfred's hand. His Keyblade had returned to him.

Alfred stared down at Matthew. Matthew drew his sword. He rushed forward, attacking Alfred in a flourish of hits. Alfred dodged sideways and spun around, sliding back toward Matthew and striking with his Keyblade.

Matthew reeled back, landing on his right foot. Bending his knee, he pushed off and jumped into the air over Antonio. Matthew landed back on the floor and hit Arthur on the chest, knocking him out.

Matthew sent all his frustration into his next attack as turned back and slashed at Alfred Alfred held his Keyblade in both hands, blocking Matthew's blows. Seeing a free opportunity, he struck Matthew in the side with the blunt end of the blade, sending him flying backward toward the fountain in the center of the room.

"No…" breathed Matthew heavily, "Not yet…" He collapsed to his knees. Alfred released his Keyblade and ran over to his friend. He never got there.

The darkness had melted off of Matthew's clothes. He got to his feet, turned and ran. Alfred's throat seemed to close as the door slammed shut. He didn't even notice when Beast entered the room behind them.

And with that, they continued on their journey.

* * *

In the chapel of the castle, Matthew ran and stumbled over the cold stone floor, out of breath. He couldn't tell for how long he was running for. Matthew leaned up against the wall. His head was pounding. Nausea had taken over. He could feel sweat running down his face and neck. He was becoming feverish. Something was wrong. Very terribly wrong.

"Why?" Matthew muttered. "Why is this happening to me?!"

"Know this," called out a low voice. Matthew froze. He turned around. Behind him was a man in a brown cloak.

"The heart that is strong and true shall always be the victor," continued the man. "Especially one with purity and great strength like his." Matthew looked the man up and down. A dark, unearthly glow was emanating from him.

"What?" said Matthew before shaking his head. "Who are you?" Matthew glared at the man in defiance.

"Unlike those who fight back the darkness. Those who have felt its touch before," said the man. Matthew felt like throwing up. "There is no escaping it. You can't fight it back anymore." Matthew's eyes widen. He shook his head rapidly, staring at the floor.

"However, you can become stronger." The man walked closer to him, the X on his chest nearly visible. "You showed no fear in stepping through the door to darkness more than once. It held no terror for you. Plunge deeper into the darkness, and your heart will grow even stronger."

"I won't do it," said Matthew as calmly as he could with his sick feeling. "The darkness has only made this situation far worse than before. All I want now is to go back to the way things used to be."

"You can never go back. Open yourself to the darkness. That is all you have to do. Let your heart, your being become darkness itself. The pain will stop." Before Matthew could say anything in protest, the man waved his hand. Matthew glowed with a green aura. He looked up at the figure as it moved closer to him.

* * *

As Alfred, Arthur, Antonio, and Beast ascended the castle, Maleficent stood in the Grand Hall, gazing into the dark depths where the Keyhole laid in wait. Matthew entered the room in his dark clothing once more. There was a ring of blue around his eyes. He was completely calm and seemed to reflected a fine a dignified manner as he joined Maleficent's side.

"So, I see the path has emerged at last," said Matthew. His voice echoed with an eerie quality.

"Yes," responded Maleficent, "The Keyhole to the darkness." The great heart before them brimmed with the dark energy of the Heartless.

"Unlock it and the Heartless will overrun this world?" said Matthew with a wicked smile.

"What do I care?" asked Maleficent "The darkness holds no power over me. Rather, I will use its power to rule all worlds."

"Such confidence." Matthew held up his hand and a dark Keyblade appeared, the blade's teeth forming the negative space of a heart. Maleficent gazes down at it, intrigued.

"Oh!" The Keyblade failed to react in the Keyhole presence, like the other Keyblade did, much to Maleficent's annoyance. "Impossible! The princesses of heart are all here! It must be her." She turned back, her eyes narrowed in irritation. They settled on the body of Sakura Honda, who looked like she was sleeping on the floor. They walked over to her.

"Without her heart, she will never be able to release her power," said Matthew. The sound of a loud door slam echoed from the castle's chapel. Matthew and Maleficent turned to the direction it came from.

"Those fools are here. I'll deal with them myself," said Maleficent angrily. She began to walk away, but not before she left Matthew with one final order. "You stay here and guard the princesses." Maleficent left. Matthew watched her leave. A smirk appeared on his face as an unearthly glow surrounded him.

* * *

"You absolutely did not have to slam the door open like that," complained Arthur as the group of four walked down a darkened hallway.

"Did you have a better plan?" asked Alfred.

"You could have used your Keyblade to unlock it. However, the door wasn't even locked!"

"Whoops."

Alfred and the Beast pushed open the next door the four came across.

As Alfred, Arthur, Antonio, and Beast entered the chapel, they were met with the dark fairy herself.

"I'm afraid you're too late," said Maleficent. "Any moment now, the final Keyhole will be unsealed. This world will be plunged into darkness. It is unstoppable." Alfred summoned his Keyblade. Arthur and Antonio followed in suit, drawing their own tools of combat.

"We'll stop it, and we'll stop you!" said Alfred. "After coming this far, there's no way we're gonna let that happen!" Maleficent glared at Alfred's impertinence, slamming her staff against the stone floor.

"You poor, simple fools. You think you can defeat me? Me, the mistress of all evil?" She raised her arms and the platform underneath her rose out of the ground. It hovered in the air out of their reach. She tapped her staff against it, and it soared across the room. The top of her staff sparked with green fire and she lifted it into the air, cackling. Alfred was having trouble keeping a firm grip on his Keyblade.

"Now you'll know the meaning of fear!" shouted Maleficent. "A bolt of lightning to strike them down!" Violet lightning crackled on the ceiling, sending thunderbolts down on top of them.

" _Reducto_!" shouted Arthur. The spell shot out of the end of Arthur's wand. It hit the witch's platform, causing it to crash to the floor. The Trinity rushed forward and began their attack.

"No!" cried out Maleficent. She swiped at them with her staff, knocking all three of them away. "Meteors of heaven, unleash thy fury!"  
Behind Maleficent, a swirling vortex appeared, and large meteors flew in towards the Trinity. The wind whipped through Alfred's hair as they attempted to dodge the unending shower of rocks. Antonio knocked the rocks away with his shield as Beast was struck down by a meteor. Arthur jumped away, but was sideswiped by another. As the witch cackled evilly, Maleficent narrows her eyes.

"Come out!" Arthur raised his wand, pointing it at all three of his party members.

" _Episkey_!" he shouted. The healing spells hit each one in turn. Maleficent raised her platform again as Heartless appeared, knocking Alfred and Antonio off, floating to the other end of the room.

Alfred took out the Heartless as Arthur struck the platform with another spell. Alfred slid toward Maleficent and attacked her with his blade.

"Away!" A large bolt of lightning erupted from the ceiling, striking Alfred at full force.

"Alfred!" called out Arthur and Antonio as the boy landed at their feet. Arthur began attacking the witch with various spells as Antonio protected him. Just as she is about to summon another meteor shower, one of Arthur's spells struck her in the chest.

"No!" Maleficent bent over, her breath coming short.

"We did it," said Alfred as Antonio pulled him to his feet. Just before the Trinity could celebrate any further, a portal appeared behind her and she walks through it.

"We have to go after her," said Arthur. After approval from the others, all four of them jumped in the portal before it sealed shut behind them.

* * *

The four of them ran into the room Maleficent had taken refuge in.

"Do you need some help?" said an eerie voice. Alfred felt his heart stop when he saw who it was.

"Matthew!" called out Alfred. Matthew turned to face them. Arthur's eyes fell upon what Matthew held in his hand.

"Is that—" he stuttered.

"Yes. A Keyblade," answered Matthew as he held up the dark weapon. "But unlike yours, this Keyblade holds the power to unlock people's hearts. Allow me to demonstrate…" He spun the blade backwards. It one quick movement, Matthew stabbed Maleficent in the chest with the Keyblade.

"Wha—" breathed out Maleficent as the witch's chest flooded with darkness.

"Now, open your heart, surrender it to the darkness! Become darkness itself!" He released the Keyblade and retreated into a portal. Maleficent stood up straight, and quietly laughed to herself.

"This is it! This power!" Maleficent cried out as she glowed with a green aura. She started laughing. "Darkness... The true darkness!"  
She erupted in green flames, sending them billowing higher into the air, her dark shadow etched in its smoky tendrils as her form changed. She grew larger, her black cloak expanding outward and filling with green.

From her back, large wings pushed outward, splitting to her sides, knocking the green from her body into nothing but sparks. The black wings connected with gray translucent skin to a large black body, heavily muscled and scaled. The dragon that once was Maleficent reared back on its hind legs and slammed the ground, eyes and mouth a blazing yellow.

"This is bad," said Antonio.

" _Glacius_!" chanted Arthur. The spell hit the dragon, who brushed it off like nothing. "Correction. This is very bad."

"We have to try," said Alfred as he went after the head. The Beast charged forward as well, his roars echoing off the stone walls.

"Step aside!" the Beast growled. His claws dug into the dragon's flesh. The dragon screeched and spin, knocking them all back with her tail. The dragon's mouth foamed with green flame and it spewed fire from its mouth, setting the room ablaze. Antonio did his best to cut into her hide with his shield's edge as he attacked from behind. While the shield managed to do some damage, it enraged the monster further.

Arthur started shooting ice spells to try to dampen the fire, while Alfred searched for a way over the flames.

"I got it ," said Alfred. "Arthur, cover me!" Arthur gave him a short nod as he continued to try and put out the fire.

Alfred whirled around, his eyes settling on the thick vines lining the walls. He put his Keyblade between his teeth and started climbing.

The dragon screeched at the barrage of attacks she was receiving, from both Antonio and the Beast. It reared back on her hind legs, conjuring fire at the base of her neck. The fireballs flew through the air towards Alfred. He reared up against the wall as the fire nearly missed him.

"Arthur!" cried out Alfred as he took out his Keyblade from his mouth for a second. "A little help here!" He ducked again as a fireball zipped past his head. Arthur glanced up at his former ward.

"I'm on it!" shouted Arthur. With the reflexes of a cat, any fireball that was sent at Alfred was immediately extinguished by Arthur's ice spells. Emerald green eyes fell on the growing flames on the floor. Arthur muttered a curse.

" _Protego_ _Maxima_!" he chanted. The spell created a shield around Alfred. Alfred grinned down at him as Arthur sent out spells to dampen the flames.

Alfred glanced down at the scene below when he reached the top of the vines. The Beast and Antonio were attacking the dragon from all sides. It suited as a perfect distraction.

Alfred kicked off the wall spiraling towards the creature. He spun around and his Keyblade collided with the dragon's neck with a sickening snap.

The dragon's head and body fell to the floor. It burned, turning into ashes. The thorny vines surrounding the room burst into green flame and disappeared. Maleficent leaves nothing but her torn cloak behind. Alfred released his Keyblade, keeping the keychain in hand.

"We did it!" cheered Antonio as he tackled Alfred. There was laughter as the group began to celebrate the defeat of their most dangerous enemy.

Everything was cut short when the dark portal reopened. Out of it stepped Matthew. There was a silence as he walked over to Maleficent's remains. He kicked the cloak with his foot with major distaste and disappointment.

"How ironic," said Matthew. "She was just another puppet after all."

"What?" said Arthur, as everyone was almost speechless.

"The Heartless were using Maleficent from the beginning. She failed to notice the darkness in her heart eating away at her," Matthew explained. He seemed to be laughing. "A fitting end for such a fool." He ground his foot into the floor and the cloak disappeared. He backed away into a corridor of darkness. "Come and face me, and you will all meet the same fate."

No one said anything for a while after Matthew vanished. Then, Alfred moved forward towards the end of the hall.

"Alfred, where are you going?" asked Arthur. Alfred turned around to face the rest of his friends.

"I'm going to save my friends," said Alfred. "We came all this way. I feel like it's my fault. I couldn't stop the darkness from taking him, or taking Sakura. I have to save them. I have to save everyone because everyone is counting on not only us but me." His voice began cracking. "I made a promise and I'm going to keep it." He sighed, calming himself down. "Now are you coming with me?"

"But what about Matthew?" asked Arthur. "If you haven't noticed, he is darkness."

"We may not be related by blood, but Matthew is still my brother," said Alfred as calmly as he could. "He's my best friend. I can't lose him." Arthur gave a nod and walked over to Alfred.

"I'm coming," said Arthur. "Like you said, people are counting on us to save their loved ones and their friends. The rest of the universe as well." Eyes fell on Antonio.

"Toni?" asked Alfred. Antonio looked over from Alfred to Arthur and back again. "You're not the only one someone waiting for you."

"I…" Antonio said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm coming with you." Alfred smiled as Antonio ran to join him.

The three made their way into the next room.


	19. Hearts Made Of Light

**Chapter Nineteen: Hearts Made of Light**

* * *

Everything seemed to appear peaceful as the footsteps of the Trinity echoed throughout the long corridor. Alfred placed his hand calmly on the door at its end. He didn't open it.

"Alfred," said Arthur, "What are you waiting for?"

"What if…" Alfred said, leaning his forehead against the door, "What if they're not even in there? We would have come all this way for nothing. Nothing but wasted time."

"They are in there, they have to be," said Antonio as he looked over to Arthur. "Right?" Arthur nodded in turn. The two took a step forward to join Alfred. They put their hands next to his.

"I guess we'll find out." Alfred nodded.

"On the count of three," he said. "One. Two. Three." They pushed open the door. They were not ready for what laid beyond it.

The door had opened up into a large room. Recognizable faces were encased in crystal chambers on the sides of the room. Alfred looked over those lining the walls. They all looked like they were soundly sleeping, caught in peaceful dreams.

"Who do you think they are?" he said as he looked at each one. "Hey guys! Here are Alice and Jasmine!" Alfred ran over to the two he had pointed out. They didn't respond.

"This is demented," Arthur said. The one thing that drew their attention away from the girls to the large heart on the upper level.

The three ran up the stairs to the upper level of the grand Hall. They stood in front of the large heart, the inside spiralling with darkness. A body rested in front of it.

"Sakura!" cried out Alfred as soon as he was close enough to see who it was. He rushed over and knelt beside her. He lifted his friend into his arms and began gently shaking her. "Sakura! It's me! Come on, open your eyes!"

"It's no use," said a cold, smooth voice. Everyone looked up. Matthew was sitting above the great heart.

"That girl has lost her heart. She cannot wake up," continued Matthew. Alfred set Sakura down softly. He could finally sensing the darkness in Matthew's tone. He had realized one more thing. It wasn't Matthew's voice. Another, more mature, and much more darker voice was overpowering it.

"You... You're not Matthew," Alfred said shakily. "I know my brother. What have you done to him?" Full of fury, he tried to go after the Matthew imposter, only to be held back by Arthur.

"The Keyhole cannot be completed so long as the last Princess of Heart still sleeps." The fake Matthew dropped down off his seat, falling in front of the dark, swirling heart-shaped vortex.

"The princess...? Sakura?" he said in surprise. Alfred looked down at the sleeping girl on the ground. "Her? She's a princess?"

"Yes. All of my captives are. And without her power, the Keyhole will remain incomplete. It's about time she was awakened." The Fake Matthew summoned his dark Keyblade to his hand. Alfred pulled out of Arthur's grip.

"Whoever you are, let Matthew go!" he demanded. "Give him back his heart!"

"But first, you must give the princess back her heart," responded the Fake Matthew. He pointed his Keyblade at Alfred. Something tightened on Alfred's heart. Pain spread throughout his body. Alfred collapsed to the floor, clutching his chest. He felt like he was burning from the inside out.

"Alfred!" called Arthur. He pulled Alfred to his feet. Alfred leaned against Arthur for support, his hand still loosely clutching his heart.

"What's—" Alfred panted. "What's going on…?"

"Don't you see yet?" said the Fake Matthew as he descended the stairs in their direction. "The Princess's heart is responding. It has been there all along. Sakura's heart rests within you!" Alfred stood up on his own.

"Sakura... she's inside me?" Alfred shuddered as he glanced down at Sakura's body. "That sounds so wrong on so many levels."

"I know all that there is to know. What I speak is the truth."

"Tell me, then you possible psychopath," Alfred asked. "Who the heck are you?" The Fake Matthew smiled darkly.

"It is I, Athens, the Seeker of Darkness," he answered. He walked toward Alfred. Arthur drew his wand in a flash. He rushed at Matthew-Athens, prepared to attack. With a simple wave of his hand, Matthew-Athens knocked the man over the railing on the platform and moved on.

Antonio took out his shield and tried to attack. Like Arthur, Antonio was knocked away like a ragdoll over the railing. Alfred was left alone. He felt too weak to do anything. His legs gave out as he dropped to his knees.

Matthew-Athens stood over Alfred, looking down at him with euphoria. He pointed his Keyblade toward him.

"So, I shall release you now, Princess. Complete the Keyhole with your power. Open the door, lead me into everlasting darkness!" shouted Matthew-Athens. With a mad look in his eye, he lifted the Keyblade, about to strike.

Everything seemed to happen in an instant.

"Alfred!" called out an amalgamate of two voices. Hearing them snapped Alfred out of a trance. He summoned his Keyblade and blocked the strike. Matthew-Athens gritted his teeth, putting more pressure on the blade.

"Forget it!" said Alfred, standing up off of the ground. "There's no way you're taking her heart! You've hurt too many people already!" He looked over his shoulder. He could see Arthur and Antonio unconscious on the floor. He prayed that they were alright.

Alfred turned back and knocked back Matthew-Athens's blade, who extended an arm.  
"Prepare to die," he hissed. Alfred struck, hitting him square in the side. Matthew-Athens winced, but recovered quickly, blocking a further attack.

He tried to toy with Alfred, forcing him to strike first and dodging at the last minute. Alfred blocked his next strike and counterattacked. Matthew-Athens responded with a dark fireball that hit Alfred straight in the chest.

"Cheap, Athens!" shouted Alfred in a mocking tone. "Fight me like a real man and get out of my friend's body!"

"Never," said Matthew-Athens. "Now witness true power!"

An aura surrounded Matthew-Athens and he floated into the air, his left hand glowing. He plunged his Keyblade into the ground, unleashing lightning shockwaves from the floor. Alfred weaved through the bolts as he made his way to his target. He struck Matthew-Athens in the side before continuing their fight

Matthew-Athens's eyes were wide with madness. He laughed as he fought Alfred. He swiped the Keyblade down, sending a blade of energy surging toward Alfred.

"Whoa!" shrieked Alfred as he narrowly avoided the energy.

"Behold the power of darkness!" Matthew-Athens yelled. He started running impossibly fast, pelting Alfred with blow after blow from his Keyblade as he rushed around the room. Alfred endured the blows, waiting for the chance to strike. With his body beginning to heal as soon as Matthew-Athens stopped running.

"I have had it with you," Alfred said through his teeth. "GET OUT OF MY BROTHER, YOU PSYCHOPATH!" Alfred threw his Keyblade. It soared like an arrow before hitting Matthew-Athens square in the face. Matthew's body disappeared as it fell to the ground in defeat. All he left behind was the dark Keyblade.  
"Matthew!" Alfred ran over to where his possessed brother once was. He perked up and turned when he heard footsteps behind him. Arthur and Antonio were awake.

"You did it!" said Antonio in excitement. "Alfred where's-" He was cut off by a small, sudden earthquake. They stared at the Dark depths of the Heart.

"Alfred!" said Arthur.

"The Keyhole!" Alfred raised his Keyblade at the Keyhole. There was no response.

"It won't work! The Keyhole isn't finished yet!" said a frustrated Arthur. Alfred released his Keyblade, turning to his friends.

"What can we do?" he asked.

"Maybe we've gotta go wake Sakura up," suggested Antonio. Alfred looked over at the sleeping girl.

"I think you're right." Arthur and Antonio walked over to Sakura. She looked so peaceful. Alfred placed his hand on his chest.

"If we can free her heart... But... But how?" he muttered to himself. His bright blue eyes settled on the dark Keyblade. "A Keyblade that unlocks people's hearts... I wonder."

"Alfred?" said Antonio as he looked up.

"Arthur? How… how can I wake them up?" Alfred asked. His eyes didn't waver from the dark Keyblade. "How can I get my brother back?"

"You have to free his heart from the Keyhole. The only way to do that is to complete it," explained Arthur. "And we have to free Sakura's heart to do so. But why do you-" Arthur trailed off as Alfred walked over to the Keyblade and picked it up. Arthur and Antonio's eyes widened.

"Alfred, wait!" cried out Antonio.

"No, hold on!" Arthur added.

"Hey…" Alfred said. He turned and looked at Arthur and Antonio with tears in his eyes. "Tell Matt I'm sorry, alright? If he's okay. Looks like I won't be able to save him after all."

Alfred smiled at them. He held the blade in both hands. Time seemed to slow down.

The tip of the dark Keyblade pierced Alfred's chest. His chest glowed a bright gold. The Keyblade floated out of his wound. Alfred's eyes came to a close. He started to fall backwards.

The dark Keyblade split itself into seven golden hearts. Six of them floated back into the princesses.

Two hearts surged from Alfred's chest. One was a crimson red. The other was a shimmering gold. The gold heart floated back to Sakura. She gasped in fresh air as soon as it plunged down into her chest. For the first time in almost a month, a pair of soft brown eyes opened.

The entrance to the Dark Depths shimmers, the barrier keeping it closed finally broken. Alfred glowed brightly, slowly falling.

"Alfred... Alfred!" shouted Arthur, hoping to get some response.

Sakura staggered to her feet. The first thing she saw was Alfred. Ignoring the unsteadiness in her legs and the pounding headache, she ran over to him.

"Arfred-kun!" cried out Sakura. She reached him. As soon as Sakura went to touch him, Alfred's body burst into a million points of light. Sakura finally gave out and dropped to the ground as he watched the light particles float into the air and disappear.

"Arfred-kun!" he called out, desperate for someone to answer. "Prease! Come back!" There was no answer. Tears cascaded from Sakura's eyes, each drop thick as they fell onto the floor. "ARFRED!"

* * *

 _What's... What's happening to me? Falling… falling… into darkness._


	20. Chapter Twenty: Reunited

**Chapter Twenty: Reunited**

* * *

Sakura, Arthur, and Antonio were motionless. All three were stick in their spots, speechless. No one could have believed what Alfred had just done.

"Arfred-kun, are you really—No," said Sakura as her arms shuddered beneath his weight. Her voice was cracking. "He cannot be…! I wirr not ret him go!"

The calm was broken as a portal of darkness appeared in front of the great heart. Sakura got to her feet, dashing backwards to the others as someone walked out of it. It was a tall man with hair pale enough to be white and dangerous blue eyes like ice. With his host lost to him, Athens had appeared to have no choice but to reveal his true form.

"So, you have awakened at last, my dear. The Keyhole is now complete," said Athens in his cold, dark tone. "You have served your purpose. But now it's over. The Keyhole can't be sealed without the power of the Keyblade. You've lost." Athens walked slowly towards Sakura. The girl was pushed backwards as Arthur and Antonio stood between them and Athens. They stood armed between her and the Seeker of Darkness.

"Don't make another move!" shouted Arthur. "You've forgotten about the two of us, haven't you?"

"Do you think we can stop him all by ourselves?" Antonio whispered to the wizard beside him.

"I don't know," Arthur whispered back.

Their effort didn't stop Athens. He kept walking towards the three, preparing to fight if he had to.

As Athens approached, he stopped, struggling to move his own body.

"Impossible…" he grunted. He had become a prisoner in his own body. A shimmering, translucent image stood doubled over as he stood between the three and Athens. It was Matthew, finally restored to his original image.

"No," Matthew groaned, "This isn't what I wanted! I won't let you use me for this!" Matthew held out his arms with difficulty , blocking Athens from proceeding further but also shielding the three from him.

"Matthew-kun!" cried out Sakura.

"You have to run! The Heartless are coming!" A horde of Shadow Heartless appeared and surrounded them. Sakura nodded. Antonio grabbed her by the hand and the three of them escaped from the Grand Hall.

"What about the Keyhole?" asked Antonio as they ran.

"We can't seal it without a Keyblade," replied Arthur. "For now, we need to get out of here!"

* * *

A lone Shadow watched them leave, its antennae wiggling in front of its glowing eyes. It jumped down from the upper platform and ashed in their direction, slowly following them throughout Hollow Bastion's Castle.

In the Entrance Hall, Arthur and Antonio wait at the castle gates while Sakura stopped at the head of the stairs.

"Sakura, hurry!" called out Antonio.

"We cannot reave him behind!" Sakura called back.

"He's gone, Sakura, you saw him disappear!" shouted Arthur. "We can't stay here!" Sakura gave a short nod. Sakura ran down the stairs. From behind her, a Shadow Heartless appeared in the hall not too far behind them.

"A Heartless is after us!" said Antonio.

"I'll take care of him!" said Arthur as he aimed his wand. The Heartless dropped down towards them. Arthur tried to attack it, only for it to dodge each spell. "Confounded Heartless! Get lost, will you?"

The Heartless appeared unfazed by Arthur's attacks, as if it had knew his every attack. The Heartless kept trying to make its way over to the other three. It was staring directly at Sakura. She took a simple step forward. Her heart was beating heavily in his chest.

"Arfred-kun?" she breathed out. "Is that you?" Everyone stopped, looking over at Sakura. She walked over, kneeling down in front if the Heartless. One of the creature's antenna was raised in a rather strange way. It twitched as she touched it.

Before Sakura could say anything, the group is suddenly surrounded by Shadow Heartless.

"Uh-oh!" said Antonio. He and Arthur rushed to fight them. Sakura kept herself focused on the odd Heartless that was huddling closer to her.

"It's my turn to protect you," said Sakura as she looked down at the creature. It seemed to smile.

The Heartless surrounding them slowly moved closer to their prey. They paused, their antennae and glowing eyes taking in every single one of their opponent.

They pounced.

"Alfred!" shouted Sakura. Sakura quickly crouched down, putting her arms around the lone Shadow. She clenched his eyes tightly shut.  
Antonio and Arthur had just defeated the rest of the Heartless when they turned to see the group of Shadows covering Sakura.

"Sakura!" shouted Arthur.

A light erupted from beneath the dark cloud. It knocked the Heartless away, revealing Sakura in the arms of Alfred.

"Sakura," said Alfred in a relieved hoarse voice, "Thank you." He held her close as sparkles of light float around them. Sakura opened her eyes at the sound of Alfred's voice. She looked up and a soft smile grew on her face.

"Arfred…" said Sakura.

"Alfred!" said Arthur and Antonio as they fan over to Alfred, tackling him in an embrace.

The Heartless around them suddenly reappeared. Everyone separated and braced for a fight.

That's when the Beast arrived, roaring loudly on top of a fountain in the hall. He leapt down to their level and knocked away a Shadow.

"Go! Now!" said the Beast.

"Come with us!" Alfred said roughly.

"I told you before, I'm not leaving without Belle. Now, go! The Heartless are coming!" Alfred nodded. He turned to the others.

"All right. Let's get out of here." They raced out of the castle and onto the Gummi ship.

* * *

Alfred didn't relax until he couldn't see Hollow Bastion anymore. He slumped down into his seat in the cockpit. He ran his hands through his hair. He turned his head when the door to the cockpit opened. It was Sakura.

"Arfred-kun… I… I need to speak with you for a moment" she said with unsurety. No one made a nose until Arthur flipped on the autopilot. He stood.

"Antonio, why don't we go and check in back home?" he said. Antonio looked up. "I think they deserve to know what's been going on."

"What do you-" said Antonio before Arthur gestured over to the two teenagers. He stood up. "Yes. We should go." The two quickly left the room.

There was a stale silence in the room. Sakura walked over and took a seat next to Alfred. Neither of them said anything for a while.

"I never expected us to be sitting here. And for you to be…" Sakura trailed off.

"Well, what did you expect?" asked Alfred.

"A fun party. You to be nursing a sunburn for about a week. For me to be back home. Spending the summer with you and Matthew-kun." There was a pause before they burst out laughing.

"You're right about the sunburn part," said Alfred. "I had on about no sunblock. If you hadn't woken me up when you did, I would have been red as a lobster." Sakura laughed. Alfred looked over at her. "Matt… I wonder where he is now. Is he okay?" Sakura looked away from her friend.

"I do not know. He stopped Athens from hurting us but….from what your friends tord me..."

"I feel like it's my fault." Alfred sighed. "I couldn't even save him."

"You saved me."

"I did. Of course I did," Alfred explained. "I spent a month searching the entire universe for you. I felt so guilty for what had happened."

"Arfred-kun, it was not your faurt. Things happened and that was it. To be honest, don't ever stab yourserf again," said Sakura. "I thought you were gone for good." Alfred wrapped his arms around Sakura.

"I promise I won't do that again," he said. "Besides," he pulled away, "You can't get rid of me that easily."

* * *

Alfred leaned against the hotel's entryway. He watched as people went about their business. They had no idea what had just transpired. Arthur and Antonio went to restock the ship. Sakura had wandered off with them.

Alfred headed inside the hotel. Inside were Emil, Lili, Vladimir and Lucille. They had what to know what had happened back at Hollow Bastion. Alfred had told them every single thing that had happened.

"So the darkness is flowing out of that Keyhole…" said Vladimir once Alfred's story was done.

"No vonder zhere are more and more Heartless everyvhere," said a worried Lili. "Zhe only vay to stop zhem is—"

"Seal the Keyhole, right?" finished Alfred.

"Maybe," Emil said. "But no one knows what will happen once it's sealed." This statement gave Alfred a concerned look.

"Well, we can't just stay here. I can't just stay here. We have to do something. My brother is back there. I gotta do something."

"That's right. You have one more friend to worry about," said Vladimir. Alfred looked over at him. "Matthew's Keyblade must have been born of the captive hearts—just like that Keyhole you saw. Of course, without Sakura's heart, it remained incomplete. Once that Keyblade was destroyed, the all of the hearts should have been freed. Don't worry, you three. If anyone can save your brother, you can." Alfred nodded. He left the hotel.

* * *

Alfred told his teammates his plan as soon as he could when he saw them. He headed down to Traverse Town's First District. He entered into Eduard's shop.

"Eduard, I need to go back to Hollow Bastion," said Alfred, leaning up against the counter.

"I can't let you do that," said Eduard, earning a flat look from Alfred. "The Heartless there are multiplying by the minute. They'd destroy your ship."

"Then what can we do? I need to get back there."

"Simple. Go around 'em instead of through. Install a new navigation gummi and take a new route."

"A new gummi? From where?" Alfred was on his toes with excitement.

"The secret waterway. When we came here five years ago, I stored it there in case I ever needed it." Alfred jumped with pure enthusiasm as he headed out the door.

* * *

Alfred snuck his way down to the Secret Waterway. He made his way over to a cave painting of a sun lining the stone walls. To his surprise, he wasn't the only one there. Standing in front of the painting was Sakura.

"What are you doing here?" he said as he walked up behind her. Sakura jumped at the surprise and whipped around.

"Arfred-kun," Sakura answered.

"Sorry if I scared you. Just want to know what are you doing here."

"I went for a walk. I ended up here." She looked over at the painting. "What a mysterious painting… It is armost hypnotizing."  
Alfred walked up to the mural, which started to glow. Sakura took a few steps back. It changed into a crescent moon and a small gummi block floated out of it, landing in Alfred's hands.

"With arr that happened in the past few hours, that does not seem strange," said Sakura as she walked back to the painting.

"Agreed," said Alfred as he pocketed the gummi block. He nudged the girl to get her attention. She looked over at him. "Let's go back and join the others. We should rest up. I mean, it's been a long day. I know you've been sleeping for a while so-"

"No. It is arright," interrupted Sakura. She gave the moon painting another look. "A right at the end of the tunner…"

"Oh, that story, right?" said Alfred with a snap of his fingers. Sakura gave him a weird look.

"That is right. I was scared of the dark. I was able to farr asreep afterwards easiry."

"What was that place?"

"I could not terr you even if I wanted to. That's arr I remember from before I came to the irands. You were afraid, so I showed it to you."

"Huh? Sakura, what're you talking about?"

"I saw everything through your eyes, as if I were a spirit. Every battre, every friend you made. I saw everything you did. I was in your heart. When you were vurnerabre, I was abre to show you something that would herp. I was abre to communicate with you." Alfred gave her a slow nod. It had explained why he had heard a voice. At least he now knew he wasn't going crazy.

"Whire my body and heart were separated, my spirit was stirr intact," Sakura continued. "I kept an eye out for you untir I was awakened." Alfred rolled his eyes and looked at the painting. There was a pause.

"You know what's funny?" said Alfred. "I looked everywhere for you, but you were with me all along. Finally, everyone's back together, Sakura." He walked closer to her. "Now, it's time to get Matthew back." Sakura's breath hitched a bit.

"You think he wirr ever be the same again? Matthew-kun has rost his…" her hand clenched over her chest.

"Hey, when I turned into a Heartless, You saved me, remember?" said Alfred. He didn't even want to think about what she was implying. "I was lost in the darkness. I couldn't find my way. As I stumbled through the dark, I started forgetting things—my friends, who I was. The darkness almost swallowed me. But then I heard a voice—your voice. You brought me back." Sakura nodded.

"I did not want to forget about you, Arfred-kun. None of us could forget you." Alfred glanced over at her.

"What?"

"I did not mean to say that out roud. You are just very hard to-" said Sakura quickly. Alfred put a finger to her lips, quieting her. She pulled it away.

"I guess that 'cause you were in my heart, our hearts are connected now. Whether you like it or not," Alfred told her. He put a hand to his chest. "And the light from everyone's hearts broke through the darkness, especially yours. I saw that light. I think that's what saved me. No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within. I guess it's more than just a fairy tale."

"Well, ret us go," said Sakura. She made her way to the exit. Alfred put an arm out to stop her.

"Whoa, hey. You can't go."

"Why not?"

"Because it's way too dangerous," said Alfred.

"I am not a young girl, I can take care of myself. You made it this far by sticking with Arthur and Antonio. You cannot go alone."

"Sakura, even if we're apart, you're not alone anymore. Right?"

"You mean I cannot herp?"

"You'd kind of be in my way. That, and with that heart of yours," Alfred said with a laugh. "You'd kinda be a Heartless magnet." She laughed.

"Okay. You win," she said with a smile. Sakura reached over and grabbed his hand.

"Whoa, hey. What are you doing?" She said nothing. Instead, she pulled something out from underneath her shirt, looping it around her head and putting into his hand.

"I want you to take this…" said Sakura. Alfred looked down. In the palm of his hand seeing a star-shaped charm made of seashells. It was about the size of his palm. A worn leather cord was attached to it. it. "It is my rucky charm. It has a long history. It is very important to me. Be sure to bring it back."

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"I… I want to say thank you. For what you did."

"No thanks are needed."

"What?"

"If I lost you, who would be there to dump water on my head when I'm having a weird dream and keep me from becoming a stiff lobster?" said Alfred before laughing. "Besides, it wouldn't feel right not having you around. I'd miss you."

"You would what?"

"Hey, I like spending time with you. You and Matthew. You both are my closest friends. I'd never get sick of it." Alfred enclosed his fingers around the charm. "Don't worry. I'll bring this back."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Do not forget. Wherever you go, any heart connected with yours wirr arways be with you." The two of them headed out of the Secret Waterway, with Alfred ready to head off to Hollow Bastion.

* * *

Somewhere else, footsteps echoed down a dark and lonely road.

"Alfred… Sakura… Everyone… I'm sorry," muttered Matthew as he walked alone through the darkness. He looked around. "Is this the afterlife?" He stumbled forward. His form began to shimmer. Matthew gazed down at his hands. "I'm not ready. Not yet. Not until I see everyone safe until rast time…"

"Hey!" shouted a voice from the dark abyss. Matthew snapped to his thoughts. He turned around as someone ran towards him.

It was a young Asian man in his late twenties. His dark brown hair tied back into a ponytail and golden-brown eyes.

"Who are you?" Matthew breathed out. His form began to become solid again.

"My name is Yao," said the man. "I'm here to help you…"

"Matthew." Yao nodded.

"Listen to me carefully," said Yao as he looked at the boy in front of him. "You went into the darkness when you lost your body. You are so young. Why?"

"I don't know," responded Matthew. "I wanted to go home. I wanted Sakura and my brother, Alfred. The darkness promised me to make my wishes come true."

"I guessed so."

"What are you doing in this place?"

"I came here to investigate the Heartless," Matthew gave him a weird look. With a childish grin, Yao dug his hand into his pocket. He withdrew a keychain, five yellow stars dangling at the end. In a flash, a Keyblade materialized in Yao's hand.

The handle was black, and the guard was a dark red. The blade was bright red, and unlike the other Keyblades Matthew had seen, it was molded to look like a dragon. In place of the teeth was a large gold star. Four, smaller stars surrounded it.

"You have a Keyblade?" asked Matthew. "I thought there was only one Keyblade master." Yao lowered the blade.

"Many people used to wield them a very long time ago," explained Yao. "Then there was a war. When the dust had settled, only a handful of Keyblade Wielders remained. Now the practice has become a rarity. I taught by a powerful master when I was younger. I retired to rule my kingdom. I came out of retirement when I saw the worlds disappearing." There was silence.

"What happened to me?" asked Matthew. His hands were shaking.

"Your heart won the battle against the darkness, but it was too late for your body," said Yao. "That's why you're here—in this place of darkness where hearts are gathered."

"What do I do?" Matthew looked ahead down the winding road in front of him.

"The Door of Darkness will open soon, but it's a door we can't enter. It has to be closed from both sides. To do this, you need two keys and two hearts. Maybe you're here for the same reason I am. Maybe it was fate."

"Fate, huh? You seem to know everything. Tell me. What happened to the others? Everyone that was at Hollow Bastion?" An image of Alfred ran toward Matthew out of the darkness before fading.

"Don't you feel the echoes of their hearts? You already know the answer. Look inside your own heart." Matthew nodded.

"Alright."

"Let's go and seal that door," said Yao. "This is going to end. Once and for all." Matthew nodded again, drawing his sword from its sheathe. He and Yao began walking down the long road in the Realm of Darkness, ready to fight in order to seal the final door.


	21. Sealed

**Chapter Twenty-One: Sealed**

* * *

Alfred, Antonio and Arthur were soon off and on their way to Hollow Bastion. They had one final mission to do. The fate of the universe rested on their shoulders.

The three arrived at Hollow Bastion's rising waterfalls. The Beast was there, waiting for them.

"Hey, there dude," said Alfred as he approached the Beast. He looked around. "Where's Belle?"

"Still in the castle," answered the Beast.

"Against her will?" Antonio asked.

"No, I think she stayed for a reason. The other princesses are inside as well."

"I wonder why?" muttered Arthur.

"Let's go ask them," Alfred said. He was already a few steps ahead.

* * *

The three made their way up to the castle. They entered the library. At the top of the staircase was a beautiful brunette woman in a golden dress. Belle turned away from a bookcase to face them.

"You've come to seal the Keyhole, right?" Belle asked as they walked up to her. Alfred gave her a short nod. "Please, be careful. The darkness is raging deep inside. We've been holding it back, but we can't hold out much longer."

"We'll take care of it," said Alfred as he and the two behind him continued in towards the Grand Hall.

"So many books, but not one on how to banish the darkness. Maybe it's hopeless…"

* * *

The Trinity continued on to the Castle Chapel. The rest of the princesses of heart were gathered. Two of them noticed their entrance. A blonde woman in a silvery blue gown, and a girl with curled blonde hair and a pink dress. They introduced themselves as Cinderella and Aurora.

"We've been waiting for you, Keyblade master," said Cinderella.

"Where's Athens?" Alfred asked. "We haven't seen him at all. You'd think he would try and stop us."

"Gone."

"When the Keyhole appeared, darkness poured out of it," said the Princess Aurora. "It swallowed Athens, and he disappeared."

"Though Athens is gone, the flood of darkness hasn't stopped," continued Cinderella. "We're working together to hold it back."

"I cannot forget the look on his face. As the darkness engulfed him, he was smiling." A pit of fear grew inside of the Trinity. Four other of the Princesses took notice of the men. They rushed to greet them.

"Alfred, please hurry!" said Jasmine with great urgency. "Darkness is pouring from the Keyhole."

"It's all we can do just to hold back the darkness," said Alice.

"I don't even know how long we can manage even that," said a black-haired princess.

"Alright," said Alfred. "We're on my way."

"We're counting on you, Keyblade master. In the meantime, we'll do what we can, too." With their promise, the Trinity marched on forward towards the Heartless.

* * *

The three began to fight their way through the castle. Heartless were appearing from every crack in the walls and floors.

Alfred, Arthur and Antonio battled Heartless through the Grand Hall and entered to find the Keyhole still glowing with dark power.

"Now let's go and seal that big Keyhole!" said Antonio.

"You made it," said a voice from Trinity turned around. Standing in the Grand Hall behind them, were Emil, Vladimir, Lucille and Lili.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Alfred, incredibly confused.

"We came in Eduard's ship," explained Lucille.

"Zhis is our home," added Lili. "Ve vanted to see it again."

"It's in worse shape than I feared. It used to be so peaceful…" Vladimir muttered. Lili put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't vorry," she said with reassurance, "If ve defeat Athens, all should be restored." she looked at Alfred, "Including your world."

"Really?" asked Alfred.

"But, it also means goodbye," said Lucille sadly.

"Once zhe vorlds are restored, zhey'll all be separate again," explained Lili.

"Everyone will go back to where they came from."

"Then I'll visit you guys with the gummi ship. Simple," Alfred said. He didn't want to say goodbye.

"It's not that simple," said Emil as he crossed his arms.

"Before all zis, you didn't know about ze other worlds, right?" asked Lucille.

"Because every vorld vas isolated," said Lili. "Impassable valls divided zhem."

"The Heartless destroyed those walls. But if the worlds return, so will the walls."

"Which means gummi ships will be useless," concluded Vladimir.

"So you're saying we'll never...?" said Antonio before trailing off. Sadness crossed over everyone's face.

"We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other," Emil told them.

"No matter vhere ve are, our hearts vill bring us togezher again," said Lili with a bit of hope.

"Besides, I couldn't forget you even if I wanted to," said Lucille, trying to sound cheerful.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Alfred. His question was never answered. A low rumbling shook the entirety of the hall. Darkness came pouring out of the Dark Depths.

"Hurry! You have to close the Keyhole!" said Antonio in owrry.

"Good luck," said Emil quickly. Alfred nodded to him.

The Keyblade Wielder approached the final glowing Keyhole hidden in the Depths. In a flash, his Keyblade was summoned to his hands. He raised it. A beam of light shot out from the end, striking the center of the keyhole. Using the power of the Keyblade, the final Keyhole was locked and sealed.

* * *

The three of them meet back up with the princesses in the chapel to celebrate.

"Thank you, Alfred," said a happy Alice. I think the darkness has begun to weaken."

"But I can feel a powerful darkness growing somewhere far away," said Jasmine.

"It's the heart of the darkness," said Aurora. "It must be where Athens went."

"Then we'll take the gummi ship and deal with both Athens and the Heartless," said Alfred with confidence.

"Your courage can bring back our worlds," the black-haired princess told the three.

"Once the darkness is gone, all should return to its original state," Aurora added.

"Everyone will be back in our world?" Arthur asked the princesses.

"Yes," answered Alice. "And you should be, too."

"I can't go home 'til I find Matthew and the King, too," said Alfred, shaking his head. As the Trinity left the chapel, Alfred looked back. The princesses were talking to one another. He could hear them.

"I still can't believe we played a part in opening the Keyhole," said Cinderella sadly. To think we had such a power… Simply unimaginable! My world is gone, so I suppose I must stay here for the time being."

"The darkness still lingers, so we'll stay as well. Otherwise, this world will be destroyed, too," Alice said. Her voice was forced. "We'll do all we can. They helped me during that silly trial. Now it's my turn to help them."

"I feel partially responsible," Aurora told the girls. "Maleficent used to live in my world. She used her great powers to control the darkness... But eventually it came to control her. I'm so glad you are here with me."

"The darkness took my home. I don't know where to go now. I hope my loved ones are safe somewhere," said the black-haired princess. She was on the brink of tears. "I'll do whatever I can to keep this world from being taken, too. I just want everything back as it was before."

Alfred turned and left. He couldn't bare to hear anymore.

* * *

Alfred and company returned to the Library on their way out. Emil, Lili, Vladimir and Lucille were gathered here. Alfred could hear them as well. The Trinity weren't noticed.

"Athena disappeared vhen zhis vorld fell to zhe darkness. It vas believed she died defending people from the Heartless," said Lili. She shook her head. "But Athens vas the one who brought zhem here. Who is he? Athens vaits in darkness. I read zhat report and I understand Athens's intentions. I believe the worlds can be restored. Zhey are still alive."

"Athens and Maleficent were both possessed by darkness," said Lucille. "You know, I just don't get it. Why 'ere? Why did Maleficent use zis place?"  
"This was once Lady Athena's castle. She was widely respected as a wise scholar," answered Emil. "But darkness took her and her apperticenes. I can assume that includes Athens. They began experimenting with people's hearts."

"Heh, some wise one," remarked Vladimir, "So much suffering and ruin, and for what?"

"Zhis is my home, but it just doesn't feel like it. I don't remember much, because I was so young." Lili said. She was choking on her own voice. Lucille rubbed her friend's back.

"We thought this was Maleficent's doing. But she was just another puppet of the darkness. Just like Athens," continued Emil. "This darkness is our real enemy. But how to beat it? Well, first things first. Let's purge every last Heartless we can find. Take back our home."

"Zere are not 'eartless 'ere, so rest up, you zree," said Lucille. "We've gotta get rid of the 'eartless and rebuild zis world."

"I won't rest until this world is restored."

* * *

Their voices trailed off as the Trinity left the library. Now, the three had more resting on their backs, urging them to defeat Athens. If they lost, so did the universe.

Quiet were Antonio, Arthur and Alfred. Everything they had just heard was plaguing their minds.

"So um…" said Alfred. He cleared his throat. "What's the plan?"

"The plan?" repeated Arthur.

"We're going to get back to the ship and go defeat Athens," said Antonio. He received a nod from Arthur.

"I know but…" Alfred cut himself off. "To be honest? I… I don't think I can do this." Antonio and Arthur stopped. They turned around, staring at the boy.

"What do you mean?" asked Arthur.

"I can't stop Athens. Everyone's counting on you and me, but I can't do it!"

"Why not? Why can't you?" Alfred didn't answer. "Spit it out, Alfred!"

"To stop Athens, we're going to have to kill him," said Alfred. His hands balled up tightly. His voice was raised. "I can't kill anyone!" Silence rang throughout the hallway.

"What are you talking about?" asked Arthur. Alfred sighed.

"I'm fifteen! I don't know about you guys, but I have a moral principle. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't take another person's life. I'm not about to break it."

"What about all those villains we fought?" said Arthur. Alfred shook his head.

"We technically didn't kill them," said Antonio. Arthur stared over at him. "We sort of just beat them until the darkness took over." Arthur groaned.

"Athens isn't a person," he said. "He's infected countless worlds. The darkness has barely left him a person. For God's sake, he possessed your brother! I want you both to promise that when the time comes, we'll stop him at all costs. Deal?" Antonio nodded. All eyes fell on Alfred.

"I'll do what I can to stop him," he said. Alfred hoped it wouldn't be him who had to deal the final blow.

Everyone stopped when something disturbed their conversation. An invisible figure shimmered in the air behind them, walking closer towards Alfred. Alfred turned. He choked on his voice as the man in a black cloak walked right through him.

The world froze. His memories flashed through his mind in rapid succession. Alfred screamed as every painful moment he ever witnessed in his struck him again.  
Alfred fell to the cold stone floor, turning to see the cloaked figure stop. Arthur and Antonio helped to pick him up off of the floor.

"Who are you?" Alfred asked the man as he caught his breath.

"Ah, it seems you are special, too," said the man in a deep voice. It was all too familiar.

"Athens?" asked Antonio in confusion.

"That name rings familiar." the man raised a gloved hand. An orb of energy erupted from it. It cracked strongly, causing the air to ripple. "You remind me of him." The Trinity looked at one another.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Alfred. He gasped as the mysterious man moves to aim the orb at him. The three ducked. Alfred summoned his Keyblade. He held it up just as the energy reached the blade. It sizzled in the air, dissipated by the blade, sparks flying everywhere.

Alfred pushed it away, sending the orb soaring into the rafters of the tower, raining down stone. Alfred narrowed his eyes. The man stared at Alfred, as if fascinated by him.

"It means you are not whole," said the man. Alfred gripped his Keyblade tightly. "You are incomplete. Allow me—to test your strength."  
The hooded figure conjured orbs of energy in both hands and sent at them in a flurry of darkness.

"Watch out!" The orbs exploding into giant damaging force fields, knocking Alfred and his friends back. Alfred slid and struck with his blade while Arthur sent magic from a safe distance.

The figure then teleported around the room, his speed increasing, surrounded by a dark cloud. The man summoned red blades from his hands and moved closer to Alfred, trying to strike him with wild and violent movements.

After a few more strikes, the man conjured a ring of blue lasers in the air, firing them towards Alfred.

"Why does he keep trying to hit you?" said Antonio. He stood by Alfred, trying to keep anything from hitting him by striking them with his shield.

"I don't know," replied Alfred. "Look out!" The man shrouded the room in darkness, sending out lasers from all around his body, nearly finishing off Antonio. The soldier was flung across the room, slamming into the opposite wall. Alfred ran forward, wildly slashing at the person who attempted to kill his friend.

After forcefully dodging a numerous amount of attacks and countering with his own, the man's chest glows with energy. He slashed out his hand and dispelled the blades in his hands. Everything was still.

"Impressive," said the man. Alfred's eyes widened. He was surprised that the man is still standing. "This will be enjoyable."

"What are you talking about?" Alfred asked. Arthur helped Antonio off of the ground, allowing him to lean in his glanced over at them. He rushed the man. Alfred planted a foot on the ground, pushing off and into the air, raising his Keyblade.

The man walked forward through Alfred once again. The world froze for a second. Alfred landed on the other side of the man, who simply stands there. He whirled around with a scowl on his face.

"It is beyond your comprehension, for now," said the man. He turned in Alfred's direction.

"Until we meet again," added the strange man with a graceful bow.

"Wait, what are you—" stuttered Alfred. The mysterious man's form flickered in the air, startling Alfred.

"I am—" started the man. Alfred walked closer. The man vanished, the air rippling in his wake. "...but a mere shell."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **This note will be a short one. I've tried not to do them as much in this fic, but i might add in little notes now and then as we continue. The next few chapters (there are about two chapters left in the story depending on how this goes...) will be wrapping up _Hearts of Hetalia I_. As such, I have a simple question to ask.**

 **Does anyone want me to continue on with the rest the games? If there are enough people who want me to, I will continue on with _Chain of Memories_. While posting _Chain of Memories_ , I will also start on the first part of _Birth By Sleep_. Since that game is broken up into three different perspectives, I will be breaking it up into three different parts: Terra, Aqua and Ventus in that order.**

 **So, what do you think my loyal readers? Do you wish for me to continue or not?**


	22. Athens

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Athens**

* * *

After navigating their way out of Hollow Bastion, Alfred, Arthur, and Antonio finally piloted the gummi ship to their final destination. This is where Arthur had tracked the Heartless to. This was their source. And this was where the Trinity would put a stop to Athens once and for all.

The ship landed with a heavy thud. The group disembarked into a world entirely made of darkness. It was basically a cave near fragments of dense snowy rocks floating in a pool of an unknown substance. A swirl of energy lit the way their destination.

"Is that all that's left of the worlds taken by the Heartless?" asked Antonio. His answer was a nod from Arthur.

"Those worlds will be restored if we beat Athens, right?" Alfred asked Arthur. "Like my world?"

"I believe so," answered Arthur. A new, and slightly terrifying, thought hit Alfred.

"But, if we do beat him and all these worlds become restored and disconnected, what's gonna happen to this place? And to us?"

"Well, uh…" Arthur was at a loss for words.

"This is a Heartless world, so maybe it'll just disappear," suggested Antonio from behind the pair. Alfred and Arthur look back at him. They seemed a bit confused. Antonio switched to a lighter and more hopeful tone.

"But no worries," he said quickly, "Even if this place disappears, our hearts aren't going anywhere. I'm sure we'll find our friends again. I just know that we will." Arthur nodded in agreement. So did Alfred.

"Yeah, you're right," Alfred sounded a bit more cheerful himself. He dug into his pocket and pulled out Sakura's charm that she had given him for good luck. As he stared it, his grip on it tightened.

' _I'll return this. I promise_ ,' he thought. Alfred slipped it over his neck, tucking it under his shirt for safe keeping. He jogged forward, catching up with Antonio and Arthur as they walked ahead.

* * *

The Trinity proceeded forward with caution over the terrain. They were armed and jumpy. Who knew what lurked in the darkness of all worlds?

They approached a swirling mist at the end of the path. Suddenly, a large dark orb falls from the sky, unclouding their vision from the mist. A large Heartless monster dropped down, blocking their path.

"We should have expected this," muttered Alfred as he attacked it with his Keyblade.

It didn't take long to defeat the heartless. However, as soon as they did, the ground gave away below. Down the Trinity dropped, falling into a large crevasse. Arthur scrambled for his wand.

As soon as he got a hold on it, Arthur didn't hesitate in casting a spell. The fall came to a slow pace. The Trinity landed softly on the ground. The bottom of the crevasse was filled with green web-like structures and crystals.

"That was too close for comfort," said Alfred. His legs were shaking. Antonio stared down the farthest end of the ravine.

"I wonder where that Athens went?" he asked.

"Dive into the most dangerous place and we'll find him!" said Arthur.

"How do we do that, genius?" asked Alfred. Arthur pointed down the way Antonio was looking.

"We follow the Heartless."

* * *

The Trinity walked on. At the end of the ravine, they discovered a portal. Alfred put a hand on it. It had the consistency of water.

"Is it safe?" he asked Arthur. Arthur shrugged.

"Only one way to find out," he said. "Who goes first?" Eyes fell on Antonio.

"Why me?" asked the Guardian.

"If something attacks you, you can protect yourself better than Alfred and I." Antonio nodded. Armed with his shield, he stepped through. Arthur and Alfred waited with baited breath. After about a minute, Antonio reached back through the portal and pulled them on through.

* * *

Even the portal was like water. Alfred found himself clawing for breath as he went through. The moment he stepped out on the other side, he drank in the air.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked him. Alfred nodded. "Good. Let's keep going."

The portal had deposited them in a jagged cave. A flaming pillar stood in the center, providing light.

After wandering around the cave, Alfred found an exit. The cave opened up to a long hallway. At the end of it was the Heartless insignia. Heartless were prowling everywhere.

The Trinity fought their way through. By the time they reached the end of the hallway, they were almost exhausted. But they forward.

The hallway lead to a room. In the center was a mysterious device. They walked over to it. Engraved on the machine was a message. Alfred knelt down in front of it.

"Ones born of the heart and darkness, devoid of hearts, ravage all worlds and bring desolation," he read aloud, "Seize all hearts and consummate the great heart. All hearts to be one, one heart to encompass all. Realize the destiny: the realm of Kingdom Hearts."

"The great darkness sealed within the great heart. Progeny of darkness, come back to the eternal darkness," Arthur said, licking up where Alfred left off. "For the heart of light shall unseal the path. Seven hearts, one Keyhole, one key to the door."

"The door of darkness, tied by the keys. The door of darkness to seal the light. None shall pass but shadows, returning to the darkness," Antonio said, finishing the inscription. "Ones born of the heart and darkness, hunger for every heart until the dark door opens." Alfred shivered. He stood up.

"Kingdom Hearts…" he said, repeating what the engraving said. "The heart of all words."

"And the corridor to darkness," added Arthur. "We can only assume that's where Athens is headed."

"Then we have to get there first!" said Antonio. "If Athens gets Kingdom Hearts, by the sound of it, we'll be doomed." Alfred tightened his grip on his Keyblade's handle.

"I won't let that happen," he said. "If Kingdom Hearts is a door, that means we can lock it."

"We have to hurry."

A portal opened behind the three. Without hesitation, Alfred drew a quick breath before running on through.

"Alfred! Wait!" said Arthur and Antonio. They followed him, unsure of where the strange portal would lead them.

* * *

Alfred stumbled through the portal. It opened up into a bleak room. There were no Heartless. It was safe. A large ornate door stood at the end of the room. Alfred stood there, staring at it as Arthur and Antonio emerged from the portal. A long forgotten memory was stirring in the back of Alfred's mind. A voice echoed in his head.

"Careful. This is the last haven you'll find here. Beyond, there is no light to protect you," it said. "But don't be afraid. Your heart is the mightiest weapon of all. Remember, you are the one who will open the door to the light."

"Alfred?" Alfred was snapped out of his thoughts when Arthur put a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Don't you hear something?" said Alfred. "There! It's coming from that door!" There was a pause as Antonio and Arthur exchanged looks with each other.

"I don't hear anything," said Antonio.

"Weird... That voice was so familiar. Maybe it's just my imagination."

"Maybe you'd better take a rest," suggested Arthur. "You're just fifteen. You can't push yourself like this."

"Oh really? You guys can't be any older than me. We're all doing the same amount of fighting."

"Technically we are," Antonio said. "Arthur and I are both five years older than you." Alfred muttered something under his breath.

"Alfred, just get some sleep," said Arthur. "You'll need it for when we come face to face with Athens."

"Fine," grumbled Alfred. He sat down on the floor. "You guys aren't going to go on ahead without me, are you?"

"No," said Antonio as he sat down next to the boy. "We'll be right here when you wake up." Alfred nodded. He laid his head down on the dirt. His Keyblade reverted to its compact form as Alfred's eyes slid closed. When he next opened them, Athens would be waiting. And he would be ready.

* * *

When Alfred awoke, he snatched up his keychain. Arthur and Antonio, though a bit drowsy as they had decided to rest as well, stood beside him. Alfred placed his hands on the door and opened it.

From beyond the doorway, light streamed in. The Trinity covered their eyes as it engulfed the room.

When their eyes opened again, they were met with the sight of a bright sandy beach. Thick, white clouds billowed in the sky. Turquoise waves lapped at the shore. They were resting in the shade of a large tree that engulfed most of the area. Alfred's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it.

"Is this... Is this… my home?" he muttered to himself.

"If it is," said Antonio, "you were right. Its beautiful."

"But why would Athens be here?" said Arthur. "I doesn't make any sense."

The Trinity walked down the beach, heading towards the water. Before they could reach it, a voice rang throughout the island.

"This world has been connected," the voice echoed. A small island off the coast disappeared.

"What was that?" said Antonio, holding his shield over his body.

"Tied to the darkness... Soon to be completely eclipsed."

"Over there!" said Alfred, following where the voice was coming from. Arthur and Antonio followed. A wooded area past a long bridge vanished into thin air.

"There is so very much to learn." The ocean churned, frothing a dangerous foam as it turned a dark violet color. "You understand so little." The island started to quake. "A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

Lightning struck the island. The sky tore open. The calm and peaceful illusion of the original islands was ruined. Beyond the tears was a dark, mad world infested with Heartless. The beach crumbled and lifted out of the water, revealing its rocky undergrowth as what once was a dock that split in two.

Athens stood at the edge of the water. He still held possession of Matthew's body. The Trinity ran down to the beach to where he stood. Athens was motionless as he stared out at the sea.

"Take a look at this tiny place. A paradise disguised as a prison," said Athens. The wind blew, making his hair and clothes whip around him. "He sought a way to return to those he believed cared about him. As a result, he opened his heart to darkness. The boy who sought to return to this place is now eternally imprisoned by his own heart." Alfred sprinted forward. He was jerked back by Arthur and Antonio. He struggled against them.

"Matt! Mattie! Matthew, please! …" Alfred called out in a desperate attempt to reach his brother. "MATTHEW WILLIAMS, YOU LISTEN TO ME! PLEASE ANSWER ME! Matthew!"

Alfred's body slackened enough to the point when his friends could release him as Athens turned. Matthew's body melted away, revealing the true form of the man. The Heartless symbol was emblazoned on his chest.

"Don't bother," said Athens." Your voice can no longer reach him where he is. His heart belongs again to darkness. All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different." His voice amplified in volume and audacity as he continued.

"Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came." Athens' voice echoed from behind. The Trinity whirled around. Athens had teleported behind them. Alfred jumped back. "You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."

"That's not true!" Alfred shouted. Athens stared at him, his eyes narrowing into slits. "The heart may be weak. And sometimes it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!" Athens rose into the air, crossing his arms over his chest. He stared down at the three who dared oppose him through a icy gaze.

"So, you have come this far and still you understand nothing. Every light must fade, every heart return to darkness!"

Behind Athens, darkness burst from his body. It twisted and formed into a large black Heartless with long antennae. Its teeth were bared, covered in thick constraints. Its torso formed an empty heart.

Athens laughed. With a simple command from its master, the Heartless threw scythes of pure dark energy at the trio. Alfred rolled to the side. He quickly scrambled to his feet. With Keyblade in hand, he rushed forward. He nicked Athens' side. The man hissed. Alfred's eyes widened. Instead of crimson blood coming from the wound, there was nothing but darkness erupting. "Come, Guardian!"

The Heartless swooped in front of Athens as Alfred attacked him again. It took the blows from Alfred's Keyblade. Alfred dropped to the ground, not having enough energy to keep hitting Athens while he was in the air.

" _Tonitrua_!" shouted Arthur, sending a bolt of lightning from his wand to Athens. It barely even made a dent. The Heartless Guardian just absorbed it like a sponge. Athens laughed at him. Antonio pulled Alfred to his feet.

"My magic isn't working," said Arthur as the three regrouped for a second. "He's not weak enough!" Athens floated down to them. The Guardian swiped at them with a large hand.

"I can take out that Heartless with my Keyblade," said Alfred. "I just can't get close enough!"

"I'll help with that," Antonio said. He offered his hand to Alfred. Alfred took it.

With Alfred in tow, Antonio ran forward, using his shield to protect him and Alfred from the Heartless Guardian's blows. When they got close enough to Athens, Antonio got down on his knees, forming a step with his hands. Alfred stepped up. Antonio gave him a boost into the air.

Before Alfred's Keyblade could strike Athens, the man moved out of the way. He flew over to the large tree that encased the island. The tree began to shake. The branches violently vibrated as the tree was rendered asunder, splitting into a corrupt area of vine and sinew. Athens waited inside with the Guardian.

"He's not fighting fair," Alfred said as soon as he hit the ground. The Trinity took off towards Athens's location.

"He's the enemy," Arthur said. "The enemy never is fair."

Alfred, Arthur, and Antonio ran up to the area. Only Alfred made it through. Much like when he fought Athens back at Hollow Bastion, a barrier had formed to prevent Arthur and Antonio from coming through. Alfred banged on the barrier.

"Alfred, watch out!" shouted Antonio. Alfred turned around just in time as Athens emerged from the shadows.

The Heartless Guardian lunged at Alfred, turning into energy and latching onto him. It pulled him closer to Athens. The man wrapped his hand around the boy's throat. Alfred kicked wildly in the air when Athens lifted him up. He clawed at his hands.

"Submit!" Athens hissed.

"Never!" Alfred managed through his lack of air. His vision began to blur. Alfred could hear Arthur and Antonio shouting in the background. As everything started to go dark, Alfred finally managed to summon his Keyblade into his hand. He blindly swung at Athens. He must have landed a hit, because Athens dropped Alfred. Athens gave out a painful scream.

Alfred dropped to all fours, coughing up nothing as he took in oxygen. He was suddenly flung back by the Heartless Guardian.

"Come. Open your heart…" Alfred got to his feet. He had somehow managed to keep a grip on his Keyblade. Alfred charged forward, trying to strike Athens. The Heartless Guardian seized him once again, throwing him back against a wall.

Alfred maintained his distance until the Guardian returned to Athens' side. He went to attack again. In an act of defense, the Guardian swung its arms, sending waves of energy at Alfred. He rolled away from them. Athens glowed with a bright aura. The room grew dark.

"My strength returns." Alfred muttered several curses under his breath as the Guardian sunk into the ground. A pool of darkness appeared underneath Alfred. Alfred looked down as the Guardian flew up at him, knocking him over. Alfred got to his feet and got a grip on his Keyblade. He dashed forward as the Guardian continued its assault. As soon as it returned to Athens's side, Alfred found an opening.

He ran straight at Athens. Alfred swung. It was the perfect hit.

Athens tried to hide behind his Guardian. Alfred spun around to Athens' behind, narrowing missing the Guardian.

Alfred slammed the Keyblade into Athens's back. There was a sharp crack.

Athens said nothing. As Alfred dropped to the ground, darkness over took his vision. The pain Athens and his Guardian had inflicted had finally gotten to him. The world went black.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **One more chapter of the story to go! It will mostly be the boss fight and the final fight of the game. After that comes the epilogue and then on to Chain of Memories! ... As soon as I write the rest of it. I have one chapter. That's about it.**


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